Serum lipids and haematological factors associated with resting heart rate: the CORDIS Study. Cardiovascular Occupational Risk Factors Detection in Israeli Industries.
OBJECTIVE
We set out to examine the association between resting heart rate and haematological factors and blood lipids, all believed to be associated with coronary heart disease.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional study, 6016 industrial employees in Israel were screened between 1985 and 1987 for cardiovascular disease risk factors [the CORDIS Study (Cardiovascular Occupational Risk Factors Detection in Israeli Industries)]. Repeated measures of resting heart rates were obtained. Complete data were available for 5393 participants. The lowest mean measure was used to examine the association with individual factors.


RESULTS
For men, of the blood lipids, only triglycerides were independently positively associated with resting heart rate after controlling for all the possible confounding factors (P<0.002). Mean heart rate was higher at elevated triglyceride levels (70 beats/min at < or = 93 mg/dl and 73.3 beats/min at > 150 mg/dl). Platelet count and haemoglobin were independently positively associated with heart rate (P < 0.0001 in both groups). For women, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and leucocyte count were independently positively associated with resting heart rate (P < 0.05 and P = 0.006, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
These associations suggest that the role of resting heart rate as a predictor of coronary heart disease may be partly explained by its association with triglycerides, haemoglobin, platelet count and leucocyte count, which may be confounding factors or intervening variables.
Kristal-Boneh
E
E
Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Occupational Health and Rehabilitation Institute, Raanana, Israel.
Harari
G
G
Green
M S
MS
D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006454:Hemoglobins; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides