Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) are non-invasive tools to measure atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness. Heart rate variability (HRV) has proven to be a non-invasive powerful tool in the investigation of the autonomic cardiovascular control. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship among PWV, ABI, and HRV parameters in adult males.
The study was carried out with 117 males who visited a health care center from April, 2009 to May, 2010. We conducted blood sampling (total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, cholesterol, fasting glucose) and physical examination. We studied brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) and ABI. We examined HRV parameters including standard deviation of NN interval (SDNN), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), LF/HF ratio. We analyzed the relationship among baPWV, ABI, and HRV parameters.
SDNN had a significant negative correlation with age, systolic blood pressure and heart rate. LF and HF had a significant negative correlation with age, and age and heart rate, respectively. baPWV was significantly and positively associated with age, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, total cholesterol, fasting glucose and heart rate. ABI was negative correlated significantly with systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate. After adjusting for all associated variables, baPWV was not correlated with HRV parameters, but there was a significant positive association between SDNN and ABI (r = 0.195, P = 0.014).
SDNN of HRV parameters had a significant positive correlation with ABI.
Citations
The study of the correlation of menopausal symptoms with heart rate variability (HRV) has not been adequate. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between postmenopausal symptoms measured by the menopause rating scale (MRS) and HRV.
We assessed postmenopausal symptoms (using MRS) with age, BMI, educational status, occupation, marital status, alcohol and caffeine consumption, smoking history, exercise, duration of sleep and amenorrhea, degree of anxiety and depression, menarcheal age, and heart rate variability. For evaluation of HRV, the record of electrocardiogram for 5 minutes in the resting state was divided into temporal categories and frequency categories, and analyzed.
No significant differences in age, BMI, duration of amenorrhea, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein were observed between two groups, which were divided according to menopausal symptoms. Low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio was significantly higher in symptomatic women, compared with asymptomatic women (P < 0.05). No significant differences of HRV index by the severity of postmenopausal symptoms were observed. LF/HF ratio of HRV parameters showed a significant increase in moderate or severe degree of "hot flashes" and "sleep problem" score (P < 0.05). Anxiety scale in symptomatic women was significantly higher than in asymptomatic women (P < 0.05).
The above data suggest that postmenopausal symptoms are associated with altered autonomic control of heart rate. In particular, hot flashes and sleep problems in moderate or severe degree are related to increase of sympathetic nerve activity.
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There are few tools to detect the diabetic autonomic neuropathy at an earlier stage. This study was conducted to investigate the association between symptoms of autonomic neuropathy and the heart rate variability (HRV) in diabetics.
Study subjects consisted of 50 diabetic patients and 30 outpatient hospital control patients at a university family medicine department. The patients completed a Korean version of composite autonomic symptom scale (COMPASS). Electrocardiography was recorded in the supine position, on standing, and during deep breathing, for 5 minutes each. HRV of frequency domain was calculated by power spectral analysis.
The COMPASS score was higher in female diabetic patients compared with that in controls. Among 50 diabetic patients, the total COMPASS score correlated positively with normalized low frequency (LF) score (normalized units, n.u.) (r = 0.62, P < 0 .001) and low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) (r = 0.77, P < 0.001), negatively with normalized HF score (n.u.) (r = -0.59, P < 0.001) and RMSSD (square root of the mean of the sum of the square of differences between adjacent NN interval; r = -0.33, P = 0.031). The decrease in LF (n.u) and the increase in HF (n.u) by deep breathing from the supine position were higher in diabetic patients compared with those in controls. The increase in LF (n.u) and the decrease in HF (n.u) by standing from the supine position were lower in diabetic patients compared with those in controls.
The COMPASS score correlated with some component score of the HRV in diabetics. The HRV may be used as a tool to detect diabetic autonomic neuropathy by augmentation with position change.
Citations
Few physician knows about the utility of heart rate variability and in my thought, especially short time analysis and frequency domain method is first introduced in Korea.
So we introduce this case for as many as physician know the utility of HRV.
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