[The relationship between resting heart rate and target organs damage in senile essential hypertension].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between resting heart rate (RHR)and target organs damage in senile essential hypertension.


METHODS
All 206 elderly essential hypertensive patients (age: 60 - 85 years) were divided into three groups according to the levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP): SBP < 160 mm Hg, 160 mm Hg </= SBP < 180 mm Hg, SBP >/= 180 mm Hg. Each of the groups mentioned above were divided into five groups according to the levels of RHR [RHR1 group: RHR < 65 beats/minute(bpm); RHR2: 65 bpm </= RHR < 69 bpm; RHR 3: 70 bpm </= RHR < 74 bpm; RHR4: 75 bpm </= RHR < 79 bpm; RHR5: RHR >/= 80 bpm]. Electrocardiography, carotid ultrasonography, echocardiography, creatinine clearance rate (CCr) and quantitative test for 24 hours' urinary microalbuminuria (MAU) were performed.


RESULTS
(1) Compared with RHR1-RHR4 groups, the RHR5 group showed with lower levels of MAU and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with RHR1 and RHR2 groups, RHR5 or RHR4 group showed with higher levels of carotid intima-medial thickness (IMT) and carotid arterial diameter (CAD), lower CCr and MAU (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). (2) The levels of IMT, CAD, LVMI, MAU were positively correlated to RHR (r = 0.312, 0.289, 0.630, 0.563, 0.576 respectively, all P < 0.01), however, the levels of LVEF, CCr were negatively correlated to RHR (r = -0.563, -0.510. all P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Target organ damage (TOD) seems not only related with PP, SBP, DBP, but also related with RHR in senile essential hypertension. RHR may be one of the important risk factors in TOD.
Liu
Ping
P
Department of Cardiovascular Disease, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
Wang
Su-jia
SJ
Zhang
Yun
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography