title: The relationship between admission heart rate and early prognosis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart rate (HR) is a basic cardiovascular parameter. The relationship between HR and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity has been indicated in clinical trials and epidemiological studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The evaluation of the relationship between HR upon hospital admission and the in-hospital prognosis in a group of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 927 patients were subject to retrospective analysis. The patients were classified on the basis of HR upon hospital admission: < 60 bpm (n = 75), 60-69 bpm (n = 169), 70-79 bpm (n = 245), 80-89 bpm (n = 172), 90-99 bpm (n = 134), and ≥ 100 bpm (n = 132). A group of patients with HR of 60-69 bpm on hospital admission (n = 169) constituted a reference group. Patients with atrioventricular blocks and arrhythmias were excluded from the analysis. Early mortality and co-existing diseases were evaluated in the study population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with HR ≥ 90 bpm demonstrated heart failure symptoms considerably more often than patients with HR of 60-69 bpm (p = 0.0010). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with a HR of more than 90 bpm and bradycardia. The relationship between HR and cardiovascular mortality is shown with a J-shaped curve.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HR is strictly correlated with early cardiovascular mortality in a population of patients with STEMI. The relationship between HR and early mortality is demonstrated by a J-shaped curve.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology and Electrotherapy, Swiętokrzyskie Cardiology Centre, Kielce, Poland. pawelsalwa@o2.pl.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salwa
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gorczyca-Michta
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wożakowska-Kapłon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000072657:ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology