Resting heart rate predicts metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy non-obese Japanese men

Autonomic nervous dysfunction is considered to be one of the mechanisms of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study is to investigate whether resting heart rate, a marker of autonomic nervous dysfunction, is a predictor of MetS in apparently healthy non-obese [body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m²] Japanese men. This is an observational study through 3 years in apparently healthy Japanese 1,265 men and 793 women without MetS and with no history of cardiovascular disease and no use of antihypertensive, antidiabetic, or antihyperlipidemic medication at baseline. Hazard ratios (HRs) of incident MetS were calculated for each 1 SD increase in heart rate stratified by gender and obesity. Incidence of MetS for each tertile of heart rate and HRs of MetS for the highest tertile (T3) compared with the lowest tertile (T1) were calculated stratified by gender and obesity. The HRs [95 % confidence intervals (CIs)] of MetS for each 1 SD increase in heart rate were 1.319 (1.035–1.681) (p = 0.025) in non-obese men, 1.172 (0.825–1.665) (p = 0.377) in obese men, 1.115 (0.773–1.608) (p = 0.560) in non-obese women, and 1.401 (0.944–2.078) (p = 0.094) in obese women adjusted for BMI, age, smoking, alcohol drinking, and physical activity. The HRs (95 % CIs) of MetS for T3 were 2.138 (1.071–4.269) (p = 0.031) in non-obese men and 1.341 (0.565–3.180) (p = 0.506) in obese men adjusted for pre-existing five components of MetS, age, smoking, alcohol drinking, and physical activity. In conclusion, an increase in resting heart rate was a significant predictor of MetS in non-obese Japanese men.