Scientists have established a connection between rapid resting heart rates and the likelihood of developing diabetes. 

Pennsylvania State University researchers have found that people with more heartbeats-per-minute are more likely to have poor blood sugar levels. The four-year study examined more than 70,000 participants, and the findings were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Study results were combined with data from seven previous studies involving nearly 100,000 participants.

"We found participants with faster heart rates, suggesting lower automatic function, had increased risk of diabetes, pre-diabetes, and conversion from pre-diabetes to diabetes," said Dr. Xiang Gao, associate professor of nutritional sciences, Penn State and a study senior author.

"Each additional 10 beats-per-minute was associated with 23 percent increased risk of diabetes, similar to the effects of a three kilogram per meter square increase in body mass index (BMI)."

Individuals with rapid heart rate have a 59 percent increased risk of diabetes, compared to those with slow heart rates. The scientists involved in the research were able to identify 17,463 pre-diabetic cases and 4,649 cases during a four-year period.

"In this study, we measured resting heart rate among about 100,000 Chinese adults and followed them for four years," said Dr. Xiang Gao.

"We found participants with faster heart rates, suggesting lower automatic function, had increased risk of diabetes, pre-diabetes, and conversion from pre-diabetes to diabetes. Each additional 10 beats per minute was associated with 23 percent increased risk of diabetes, similar to the effects of a 3 kilogram per meter square increase in body mass index."

The researchers then combined the results with those of seven previously published studies on the same topic, finding a similar association: "Individuals with fast heart rate had 59 percent increased risk of diabetes relative to those with slow heart rate."

While all participants in the study were employees of the Kailuan Coal Co, Ltd, a coal mining company in China, researchers confirmed that there was a similar associate between heart rate and diabetes risk among individuals of different social and cultural backgrounds, including Hispanic/Latinos.

The report's findings could help to identify higher future risks of diabetes, revealing a conversion from impaired fasting glucose levels to diabetes. Researchers based their diagnosis of diabetes and pre-diabetes status on a single measure of fasting plasma glucose.