Martin Vanderwoude: For a person at rest, not engaged in any physical activity, a heart rate of 60-80 beats per minute is considered normal. For those with Coronary Artery diseases, this resting heart rate is extremely important. An elevated rate is a warning sign, that indicates a higher risk of heart attacks and death.
Dr. Jean-Claude Tardiff of the Montreal Heart Institute is the lead Canadian investigator and member of the Steering Committee for an international study called Beautiful, which investigated the effect of selective heart rate lowering on CV events. While the primary endpoint looking at death, heart attack, and heart failure was neutral, there were additional findings that showed that selectively lowering heart rate reduced the risk of having a heart attack in patients with a heart rate above 70 BPM.
Dr. Jean-Claude Tardiff: In the subgroup of patients who had a heart rate of 70 beats per minute or more at the beginning of the study, the drug that we tested reduced the number of heart attacks by 36%, and the number of patients went to the hospital for a heart attack or angina by 22%.
Martin Vanderwoude: The study known as the Beautiful Study involved more than 10,000 patients around the world, including more than 350 patients in Canada.
Dr. Jean-Claude Tardiff: In terms of the significance for patients, these results are exciting. We know that the higher the heart rate at rest, the higher the risk for heart attacks. Now what this study, the Beautiful Study is suggesting is that by lowering heart rate we can reduce the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems in patients with know heart disease.
Martin Vanderwoude: Heart rates are important for Johanne Bertolet. She is a Kinesiologist at the Epic Center of the Montreal Heart Institute and constantly monitors the heart rate of her patients and members.
Johanne Bertolet: Resting heart rate is important because if the heart works too hard at rest, it can show that there is a risk for the health of the heart.
Martin Vanderwoude: Marcle Levesque doesn't believe in standing still. He regards information as a key part in fighting Coronary Artery Disease. Having been through cardiac problems himself, he understands how important it is to monitor his heart rate regularly.
Marcle Levesque: Since my heart problem started, I measure my heart rate regularly, and if its high, I consult a nurse at the Epic Center.
Martin Vanderwoude: Coronary Artery Disease is the leading cause of death, and the World Health Organization predicts it will remain so for at least the next 20 years. These initial finding show for the first time that lowering heart rate is beneficial for patients at risk for a heart attack. Martin Vanderwoude reporting.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services