Heart rate and nicotine: a chronic problem
Elevated resting heart rate is an independent risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and increases the risk of adverse outcomes in patients with established cardiovascular disease. Heart rate elevated over time is particularly deleterious to health. Tobacco use has been widely reported to affect heart rate, due principally to the acute positive chronotropic effect of its key component, nicotine. This review explores the proposition that chronic nicotine consumption equates to chronic elevated heart rate.