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Heart rate recovery and prognosis in heart failure patients

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of heart rate recovery (HRRec) for assessing risk of death in heart failure (HF) patients. Echocardiographic and clinical exercise data were analyzed retrospectively on 712 HF patients (EF ≤ 45%). HRRec was calculated as peak exercise heart rate − heart rate at 1 min of active recovery. Patients were followed for all-cause mortality (5.9 ± 3.3 years follow-up). Groups were identified according to HRRec: group-1 (HRR ≤ 4 bpm), group-2 (5 ≤ HRR ≤ 9 bpm), and group-3 (HRR ≥ 10). Kaplan–Meier analysis estimated survival of 91, 64, and 43% (group-1); 94, 76, and 63% (group-2); and 92, 82, and 70% (group-3) at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. Ranked HRRec independently predicted mortality after adjusting for age, gender, NYHA class, LVEF and BMI, but was not independent of exercise time, peak \( V_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }} \) and \( V_{\text{E}} /V_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} \) at nadir. HRRec is a useful prognostic marker in patients with HF, particularly when gas exchange measures are not available.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Kathy O’Malley and Minelle Hulsebus for their help with data collection and Renee Blumers for her help in manuscript preparation. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants: HL71478 and HL07111. Vera Kubrychtova, a visiting graduate student from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic was supported by Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic and the Mayo Foundation.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors of this study have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Vera Kubrychtova

  2. Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Joseph 4-225C, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Thomas P. Olson, Thomas G. Allison & Bruce D. Johnson

  3. Division of Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Kent R. Bailey & Prabin Thapa

Authors
  1. Vera Kubrychtova
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  2. Thomas P. Olson
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  3. Kent R. Bailey
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  4. Prabin Thapa
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  5. Thomas G. Allison
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  6. Bruce D. Johnson
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Correspondence to Thomas P. Olson.

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Kubrychtova, V., Olson, T.P., Bailey, K.R. et al. Heart rate recovery and prognosis in heart failure patients. Eur J Appl Physiol 105, 37–45 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0870-z

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