Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of resting heart rate and its biological and environmental determinants in adolescents. The study was cross- sectional and the population consisted of 2230 children and adolescents, age range 12–18 years, enrolled randomly from state schools in Turin, Italy. In all participants the following parameters were evaluated: heart rate, blood pressure (BP), weight, height, degree of sexual development, physical activity, parental socio-cultural level. Heart rate and BP were measured after 5, 10 and 15 min in a sitting position. Furthermore, to obtain regression equations to define heart rate as a function of the other variables available, a multiple regression analysis was performed. In both sexes BP, but not heart rate, declined significantly from the first to the last determination. Heart rate was positively and significantly correlated to BP level in both sexes; heart rate was higher in girls (3 bpm) and followed a progressive decreasing trend with age in both sexes, that was opposite to BP values. Age, sexual maturation, height, physical activity and parental socio-cultural level were independent determinants of resting heart rate. In conclusion, resting heart rate in adolescents is related to several methodological, constitutional and environmental factors that have to be taken into account when assessing heart rate values and constructing tables of normal values.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Stamler J, Berkson DM, Dyer A . Relationship of multiple variables to blood pressure: findings from four Chicago epidemiologic studies In: Paul O (ed.) Epidemiology and Control of Hypertension Symposia Specialists: Miami 1975; pp 307–352
Berenson GS et al. Racial differences of parameters associated with blood pressure levels in children: the Bogalusa Heart Study Methabolism 1979; 28: 1218–1228
Simpson FO, Waal-Manning HJ, Boli P, Spears GF . The Milton Survey 2. Blood pressure and the heart NZ Med J 1978; 88: 1–4
Selby JV et al. Precursors of essential hypertension: pulmonary function, heart rate, uric acid, serum cholesterol, and other serum chemistries Am J Epidemiol 1990; 131: 1017–1027
Garrison RJ, Kannel WB, Stokes J III . Incidence and precursors of hypertension in young adults Prev Med 1987; 16: 235–251
Kim JR et al. Heart rate and subsequent blood pressure in young adults: The CARDIA Study Hypertension 1999; 33: 640–646
Greenland P et al. Resting heart rate is a risk factor for cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality: the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry Am J Epidemiol 1999; 149: 853–862
Gillman MW, Kannel WB, Belanger A, D'Agostino RB . Influence of heart rate on mortality among persons with hypertension: the Framingham Study Am Heart J 1993; 125: 1148–1154
Gillum RF, Makuc DM, Feldman JJ . Pulse rate, coronary heart disease, and death: the NHANES I epidemiologic follow-up study Am Heart J 1991; 121: 172–177
Kannel WB, Kannel C, Paffenbarger RS, Cupples LA . Heart rate and cardiovascular mortality: The Framingham Study Am Heart J 1987; 113: 1489–1494
Shepherd JT, Mancia G . Reflex control of human cardiovascular system Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 1986; 105: 1–99
Julius S . Changing role of the autonomic nervous system in human hypertension J Hypertens 1990; 8 (Suppl 7): S59–S65
Mancia G et al. Reflex cardiovascular control in congestive heart failure Am J Cardiol 1992; 69: 17G–23G
Palatini P . Need for a revision of the normal limits of resting heart rate Hypertension 1999; 33: 622–625
Palatini P . Office versus ambulatory heart rate in the prediction of the cardiovascular risk Blood Press Monit 1998; 3: 173–180
Lever FA, Harrap SB . Essential hypertension: a disorder of growth with origins in childhood? J Hypertens 1992; 10: 101–120
Hediger ML et al. Resting blood pressure and pulse rate distributions in black adolescents: the Philadelphia Blood Pressure Project Pediatrics 1984; 74: 1016–1021
Iliff A, Lee VA . Pulse rates, respiratory rate, and body temperature of children between two months and eighteen years of age Child Dev 1952; 23: 237–245
Voors AW, Webber LS, Berenson GS . Resting heart rate and pressure-rate product of children in a total biracial community. The Bogalusa Heart Study Am J Epidemiol 1982; 116: 276–286
Miller RA, Shekelle RB . Blood pressure in tenth-grade students. Results from the Chicago Heart Association Pediatric Heart Screening Project Circulation 1976; 54: 993–1000
Report of the Second Task force on blood pressure control in children Pediatrics 1987; 79: 1–25
Tanner JM . Growth at Adolescence. Blackwell Scientific Publications Oxford 1962
SAS Institute Inc. SAS/STAT User's Guide SAS Institute: Cary (NC) 1988
Mancia G et al. Effects of blood pressure measurement by the doctor onpatients blood pressure and heart rate Lancet 1983; 2: 695–698
Erikssen J, Rodhal K . Resting HR in apparently healthy middle aged men Eur J Appl Physiol 1979; 42: 61–69
Rabbia F et al. Relationship between birth weight and blood pressure in adolescence Prev Med 1999; 29: 455–459
Morcet JF et al. Associations between heart rate and other risk factorsin a large French population J Hypertens 1999; 17: 1671–1676
Lauer RM, Anderson AR, Beaglehole R, Burns TL . Factors related to tracking of blood pressure in children Hypertension 1984; 6: 304–314
Hall K, Sara VR . Somatomedin levels in childhood, adolescence and adult life J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1982; 54: 254–260
Stanhope R, Preece MA, Grant DB, Brook CGD . New concepts of the growth spurt of puberty Acta Pediatr Scand Suppl 1988; 347: 30–37
Rechler M, Nissley SP, Roth J . Hormonal regulatuion of human growth N Engl J Med 1987; 316: 941–942
Merimee TJ, Fineberg SE . Studies of the sex based variation of human growth hormone secretion J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1985; 62: 159–164
Link K et al. The effects of androgens on the pulsatile release and the 24-hour mean concentration of growth hormone in peripubertal males J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1985; 62: 159–164
Wiedemann E, Schwartz E, Frantz AG . Acute and chronic estrogen effects upon serum somatomedin activity, growth hormone, and prolactin in man J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1976; 42: 942–952
Ho Ky et al. Effects of sex and age on the 24-hour profile of growth hormone secretion in man: importance of endogenous estradiol concentrations J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1987; 64: 51–58
Seals DR, Hagberg JM . The effect of exercise training on human hypertension: a review Med Sci Sports Exercise 1984; 16: 207–215
Kingwell BA, Jennings GL . Effects of walking and other exercise programs upon blood pressure in normal subjects Med J Aust 1993; 158: 234–238
Blair SN, Goodyear NN, Gibbons LW, Copper KH . Physical fitness and incidence of hypertension in healthy normotensive men and women JAMA 1984; 252: 487–490
Paffenbarger RS Jr, Jung DL, Leung RW, Hyde RT . Physical activity and hypertension: an epidemiological review Ann Intern Med 1991; 23: 319–327
Somers V, Conway J, Johnston J, Sleight P . Effects of endurance training on baroreflex sensitivity and blood pressure in borderline hypertension Lancet 1991; 337: 1363–1368
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rabbia, F., Grosso, T., Cat Genova, G. et al. Assessing resting heart rate in adolescents: determinants and correlates. J Hum Hypertens 16, 327–332 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001398
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001398
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Comprehensive cardiac evaluation to maximal exercise in a contemporary population of prepubertal children
Pediatric Research (2022)
-
Sex impacts cardiac function and the proteome response to thyroid hormone in aged mice
Proteome Science (2020)
-
DNA methylation at birth within the promoter of ANRIL predicts markers of cardiovascular risk at 9 years
Clinical Epigenetics (2016)
-
Resting heart rate: its correlations and potential for screening metabolic dysfunctions in adolescents
BMC Pediatrics (2013)
-
Resting heart rate as a predictor of metabolic dysfunctions in obese children and adolescents
BMC Pediatrics (2012)