Longitudinal relationships between resting heart rate and biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease: the Amsterdam Growth and Health Study

The aim of this study was to analyse longitudinal relationships between resting heart rate and biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease using data from the longitudinal Amsterdam Growth and Health Study (AGHS). In the AGHS, 98 females and 81 males were measured six times between 1977 and 1991. In 1977, the age of the subjects was 13 years. The variables assessed included resting heart rate, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, high-density serum lipoprotein, total serum cholesterol, the sum of four skinfolds, cardiopulmonary fitness (VO 2 max), habitual physical activity and smoking history. To investigate the longitudinal relationships between resting heart rate and diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, high-density serum lipoprotein, total serum cholesterol, sum of four skinfolds and V O 2 max, generalized estimating equations were used, leading to one standardized longitudinal regression coefficient (beta). Significant univariate relationships were found between resting heart rate and diastolic blood pressure (beta = 0.142; P = 0.00), systolic blood pressure (beta = 0.134; P = 0.00), VO 2 max (beta = -0.091; P = 0.00) and sum of four skinfolds (beta = 0.047; P = 0.021). The relationships between resting heart rate and diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure and VO 2 max did not change substantially when corrected for habitual physical activity and smoking history. The relationship between resting heart rate and sum of four skinfolds was no longer found to be significant when corrected for habitual physical activity and smoking history. For these relationships, no interaction between resting heart rate and sex was found.