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1: Ann Intern Med. 2000 Apr 4;132(7):552-5.Click here to read Links

Heart rate recovery after submaximal exercise testing as a predictor of mortality in a cardiovascularly healthy cohort.

Cole CR, Foody JM, Blackstone EH, Lauer MS.

Department of Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195, USA.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal heart rate recovery after symptom-limited exercise predicts death. It is unknown whether this is also true among patients undergoing submaximal testing. OBJECTIVE: To test the prognostic implications of heart rate recovery in cardiovascularly healthy adults undergoing submaximal exercise testing. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: 10 primary care sites. PARTICIPANTS: 5234 adults without evidence of cardiovascular disease who were enrolled in the Lipid Research Clinics Prevalence Study. MEASUREMENTS: Heart rate recovery was defined as the change from peak heart rate to that measured 2 minutes later (heart rate recovery was defined as < or =42 beats/min). RESULTS: During 12 years of follow-up, 312 participants died. Abnormal heart rate recovery predicted death (relative risk, 2.58 [CI, 2.06 to 3.20]). After adjustment for standard risk factors, fitness, and resting and exercise heart rates, abnormal heart rate recovery remained predictive (adjusted relative risk, 1.55 [CI, 1.22 to 1.98]) (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Even after submaximal exercise, abnormal heart rate recovery predicts death.

PMID: 10744592 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]