Initial in-hospital heart rate is associated with long-term survival in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Aims: Increased heart rate has been associated with stroke risk and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the long-term prognostic value of initial in-hospital heart rate in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: We analyzed data from 21,655 patients with AIS enrolled (January 2010-September 2018) in the Chang Gung Research Database. Mean initial in-hospital heart rates were averaged and categorized into 10-beat-per-minute (bpm) increments. The primary and secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazard models, using the heart rate < 60 bpm subgroup as the reference.

Results: The adjusted HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.23 (95% CI 1.08-1.41) for heart rate 60-69 bpm, 1.74 (95% CI 1.53-1.97) for heart rate 70-79 bpm, 2.16 (95% CI 1.89-2.46) for heart rate 80-89 bpm, and 2.83 (95% CI 2.46-3.25) for heart rate ≥ 90 bpm compared with the reference group. Likewise, heart rate ≥ 60 bpm was also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death (adjusted HR 1.18 [95% CI 0.95-1.46] for heart rate 60-69 bpm, 1.57 [95% CI 1.28-1.93] for heart rate 70-79 bpm, 1.98 [95% CI 1.60-2.45] for heart rate 80-89 bpm, and 2.36 [95% CI 1.89-2.95] for heart rate ≥ 90 bpm).

Conclusions: High initial in-hospital heart rate is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death in patients with AIS.