Resting heart rate, cognitive function, and inflammation in older adults: a population-based study

• Published in: Aging clinical and experimental research Vol. 35; no. 11; pp. 2821 - 2829
• Main Authors: Mao, Ming, Liu, Rui, Dong, Yi, Wang, Chaoqun, Ren, Yifei, Tian, Na, Tang, Shi, Hou, Tingting, Cong, Lin, Wang, Yongxiang, Du, Yifeng, Qiu, Chengxuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cognitive ability; Cognitive function; Dementia; Endothelial dysfunction; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Heart rate; Low-grade inflammation; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Older people; Original; Original Article; Population-based studies; Population-based study; Resting heart rate; Endothelial dysfunction; Population-based study; Low-grade inflammation; Resting heart rate; Cognitive function
• ISSN: 1720-8319; 1594-0667; 1720-8319
• DOI: 10.1007/s40520-023-02576-8

Background Emerging evidence has linked elevated resting heart rate (RHR) with poor cognitive function in older adults, but the mechanisms underlying their association are poorly understood. Methods This population-based cross-sectional study included 4510 dementia-free participants (age ≥ 65 years; 56.9% females; 38.3% no formal education) in the baseline examination of the Multidomain Interventions to Delay Dementia and Disability in Rural China study. Of these, 1,386 had data on serum proinflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules. RHR was measured using 12-lead electrocardiograph. We used the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a neuropsychological test battery to assess cognitive function. Data were analyzed using the general linear and restricted cubic splines models. Results People with high RHR were more likely to have cardiometabolic diseases and worse cognitive function ( p  < 0.05). There was an inverted J-shaped association of RHR with MMSE and attention scores. Having RHR ≥ 80 bpm (vs. 60–69 bpm) was significantly associated with the multivariable-adjusted β coefficients of − 0.58 [95% confidence interval (CI), − 1.00, − 0.16] for MMSE score and − 0.08 (− 0.15, − 0.01) for attention score. In the serum biomarker subsample, RHR was linearly associated with serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) (β coefficient = 0.19; 95%CI 0.14, 0.24), IL-8 (0.08; 0.02, 0.13), IL-10 (0.09; 0.04, 0.15), tumor necrosis factor-α (0.06; 0.01, 0.11), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (0.09; 0.04, 0.15), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (0.16; 0.11, 0.22), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (0.11; 0.06, 0.16). Conclusions There is an inverted J-shaped association of RHR with attention and global cognition. Poor cognitive function and high RHR may be linked through systemic low-grade inflammation and endothelial injury.