Heart rate still high
August 30, 2011
ONE third of all stable coronary
artery disease (CAD) outpatients
have too high a baseline resting
heart rate, according to a study
suggesting this could be an emerging
risk factor for heart disease.
Titled CLARIFY, the research
involved 33,649 patients
worldwide between November
2009 and July 2010, and is the
largest international registry ever
carried out in CAD patients.
During the study researchers
found that 44% of the patients had
a resting heart rate greater than or
equal to 70 beats per minute (bpm).
In addition, in adjusted analyses,
they discovered that a heart rate
of greater than 70bpm was
independently associated with a
higher prevalence and severity of
angina, and with more frequent
evidence of ischemia.
“These findings suggest tighter
control of baseline heart rate with
heart-rate-lowering medications
may benefit CAD patients by
improving symptom control and
outcomes,” said CLARIFY chairman
Professor Gabriel Steg from the
Hopital Bichat in Paris, France.
The results of the massive study
also found that medications such
as aspirin and statins were taken
by more than 90% of patients,
whilst 75% of participants were
taking beta-blockers.
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