An elevated resting heart rate predicts myocardial infarction or coronary death, but not stroke, in women 50 years of age and older, reported a cohort study in the February 3 BMJ. The study examined the relationship between resting heart rate and cardiovascular events in 129,135 postmenopausal women who were participants in the Women's Health Initiative; women with a history of cardiovascular disease or who were taking drugs that might affect heart rate were excluded. Researchers found that women with a resting heart rate of more than 76 beats per minute had a 68% higher risk of a coronary event but were not at increased risk for stroke.