Benefits of lowering resting heart rate

Habitual physical activity and exercise are associated with the mortality rate and significantly contribute to the prevention and/or amelioration of aging-related diseases, including atherosclerosis. Among the benefits  of exercise there is a  lowered resting heart rate.  Whereas in the recent years the awareness of the existence of a link between atherosclerosis and factors such as a high cholesterol diet and cigarette smoking have been steadily increasing, less is known about the strong link between resting heart rate and atherosclerosis and atherosclerosis- related pathologies  such as stroke, myocardium infarction and heart failure. Atherosclerosis is  an  inflammatory disease  which affects specific regions of major arteries such as bifurcations or bends. Epidemiological studies have clearly shown a strong association, both in the general population and in patients, between resting heart rate and insurgence and progression of cardiovascular diseases. A clear link also  exists between elevated resting heart rate and inflammatory molecules circulating in the blood. Clinical studies conducted in  heart failure and coronary artery disease patients treated with ivabradine, a drug that selectively  reduces  heart rate,  have shown  that treatment leads to a reduction of mortality and hospitalization.  The molecular mechanism by which a reduction of heart rate is protective for arteries is still not completely understood.  Evidences obtained from in vitro and  in vivo  studies  strongly suggest that a lowered heart rate may acts as a switch turning off genes that have a damaging effect on the lining of arteries and turning on protective genes