High resting heart rate (RHR) predicts cardiovascular outcomes in patients with vascular disease and heart failure. We evaluated the prognostic value of RHR in a large contemporary population-based, prospective cohort of individuals without known coronary artery disease.

Resting heart rate (RHR) was determined in 4091 individuals (mean age 59.2 ± 7.7; 53 % women) from the Heinz Nixdorf RECALL study, of whom, 3348 were free of heart rate lowering medication. During 10.5 years of follow-up (median), 159 (3.9 %) individuals developed a coronary event and 398 (9.7 %) died of any cause. Persons without any event (n = 3603) had similar heart rates as persons with coronary events (69.5 ± 11 versus 69.9 ± 11 bpm, p = 0.51) but lower heart rates than persons who died (72.3 ± 13 bpm, p < 0.0001). In individuals without heart rate lowering medication, an increase in heart rate by 5 bpm was associated with an increased hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality of 13 % in unadjusted analysis and also upon adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, including coronary artery calcification [full model: HR (95 % CI) 1.13 (1.07–1.20), p < 0.0001], but not for coronary events [HR 1.02 (0.94–1.11), p = 0.60]. In individuals without heart rate lowering medication, the HR (full model) for heart rate ≥70 versus <70 bpm with regard to all-cause mortality and coronary events was 1.68 (1.30–2.18), p < 0.0001, and 1.20 (0.82–1.77), p = 0.35. Analysis of the entire cohort revealed a continuous relationship of heart rate with all-cause mortality [HR for lowest to highest heart rate quartile 1.64 (1.22–2.22), p = 0.001, full model] but not with coronary events [HR 1.04 (0.65–1.66), p = 0.86].

In the general population without known coronary artery disease and heart rate lowering medication, elevated RHR is an independent risk marker for all-cause mortality but not for coronary events.