Control of Resting Heart Rate and Other Risk Factors Over a Three-year Period in Outpatients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease in Latvia

The aim of the study was to evaluate control of heart rate (HR) and other risk factors (RF) over athree-year period in coronary artery disease (CAD) outpatients in Latvia. Patients (n = 120) were examined and questioned at baseline time and annually (four times in total). Increased resting HR (≥70 bpm) when measured by palpation was present in 35.8% of cases at baseline time, 35.6%, 29.8% and 35.1% of cases at Y1, Y2 and Y3, respectively; when measured by electrocardiography: in 33.6% (baseline), 36.8% (Y1), 26.7% (Y2), 33.7% (Y3) of cases. The proportion of patients with increased HR did not significantly change in Y1–Y3 vs baseline. Systolic blood pressure was lower in Y1 and Y3 vs baseline (P = 0.005 and P = 0.003, respectively). The proportion of patients with increased blood pressure (≥140/90 mmHg) was lower in Y1, Y2 and Y3 than at baseline (P = 0.018, P = 0.030 and P = 0.017, respectively). The proportion of patients with a decreased level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (<1.2 mmol/l for women and <1.0 mmol/l fom men) was lower in Y1–Y3 compared to baseline (P < 0.001). A substantial (about one-third) and stable proportion of patients with increased HR≥70 bpm over the three-year period in the examined sample of treated CAD patients indicates that there is a need for better control of this RF.