Respiratory rate at rest was not associated with long-term mortality in healthy males.
OBJECTIVE
In various diseases, resting respiratory rate (RR) is associated with mortality. We hypothesized that RR could be an early marker of low-grade disease and hence be associated with mortality also in healthy individuals. The objective of the study was to assess if resting RR was associated with long-term mortality in healthy males.


METHODS
In a cohort of healthy men aged 40-59, we studied the relation of RR in 1972-1975 with all-cause and respiratory mortality until 2000. We used Cox proportional hazards models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).


RESULTS
Among 1,623 men, 615 died during follow-up, 96 from respiratory causes. Men in the upper RR quartile (>16 breaths/min) had higher all-cause mortality than in the lowest quartile (<13 breaths/min), HR 1.29 (95% CI 1.04-1.60, P=0.02), though this was not statistically significant in multivariable models. Resting RR was not associated with respiratory mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
RR at rest was not independently associated with long-term all-cause or respiratory mortality in this cohort of healthy men.
Stavem
Knut
K
Medical Department, Akershus University Hospital, N-1478 Lørenskog, Norway. knut.stavem@klinmed.uio.no
Erikssen
Jan
J
D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012119:Respiration; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors