Elevated resting heart rate as independent in-hospital prognostic marker in COVID-19

• Published in: Cardiology journal Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 181 - 187
• Main Authors: Vanoli, Jennifer, Marro, Giacomo, Dell'Oro, Raffaella, Facchetti, Rita, Quarti-Trevano, Fosca, Spaziani, Domenico, Grassi, Guido
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poland Wydawnictwo Via Medica 07.04.2022; Via Medica
• Subjects: Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Heart Rate; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Prognosis; SARS-CoV-2; heart rate; prognosis; sympathetic nervous system; coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• ISSN: 1897-5593; 1898-018X
• DOI: 10.5603/CJ.a2022.0009

Scarce and non-homogeneous data are available on the prognostic value of clinic heart rate (HR) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The present study evaluated in 389 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 the in-hospital prognostic value of resting HR, assessed over different time periods, i.e., at hospital admission, during initial 3 days and 7 days of hospitalization. Results show that assessment of this hemodynamic variable during hospitalization provides information on the clinical outcome of the patients, greater HR values being associated with a worse inhospital prognosis. The prognostic value of elevated HR during COVID-19: 1) was independent on other confounders such as age, gender, comorbidities and fever, 2) appeared to be strengthened by repeated measurements of HR during the initial 3/7 days of hospitalization, and 3) was detectable in patients in which the therapeutic intervention did not include drugs, such as beta-blockers, calcium antagonists, digoxin, ivabradine and antiarrhythmic compounds known to interfere with HR. Heart rate may represent an important marker of a patient's outcome in COVID-19.