Experimental data suggest that heart rate is directly associated with the progression of atherosclerosis. We evaluated the prognostic importance of heart rate measured at rest 3 months after transplantation in 143 heart transplant recipients. During the follow-up (mean 9.5 years, range 2-23 years) 56 patients had coronary lesions. Survival without coronary lesion at angiography did not significantly differ between patients with a basal heart rate > or ≤97/min (median, p=0.44). This series does not support a prognostic influence of heart rate for cardiac allograft vasculopathy.
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