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Baseline heart rate variability in healthy centenarians: differences compared with aged subjects (>75 years old)
G Paolisso1, D Manzella, M Barbieri
1Department of Geriatric Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Servizio di Astanteria Medica, Piazza Miraglia 2, I-80138 Napoli, Italy. gpaoliss@tin.it
Clinical Science (London, England : 1979)
|November 5, 1999
Summary
Healthy centenarians exhibit distinct cardiac autonomic nervous system activity, characterized by lower heart rate variability (HRV) power and a reduced sympathovagal balance, compared to aged individuals. This suggests differences in autonomic regulation may contribute to extreme longevity.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
Background:
- Healthy centenarians display superior physiological parameters compared to older adults.
- Heart rate variability (HRV) is a recognized indicator of cardiac autonomic nervous system (CANS) function.
- Potential differences in CANS activity between centenarians and aged subjects remain unexplored as a factor in extreme survival.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether significant differences exist in baseline HRV parameters between healthy centenarians and aged individuals.
- To determine if altered CANS activity contributes to the exceptional longevity observed in centenarians.
Main Methods:
- Power spectral analysis of HRV was conducted on 30 healthy centenarians (age ≥ 100 years) and 25 aged subjects (age ≥ 75 years).
- Measurements included anthropometrics, fasting blood samples for metabolite analysis, and HRV determination.
- Statistical analysis compared HRV parameters between the two groups, adjusting for covariates like age, gender, BMI, and specific hormone levels.
Main Results:
- Healthy centenarians showed significantly lower total power and low-frequency (LF) components of HRV compared to aged subjects.
- Centenarians exhibited a higher high-frequency (HF) component of HRV.
- The LF/HF ratio, an index of sympathovagal balance, was significantly lower in healthy centenarians than in aged subjects, independent of other factors.
Conclusions:
- Healthy centenarians possess a distinct basal HRV profile compared to aged individuals.
- A lower basal low-frequency/high-frequency ratio in centenarians indicates a shift towards parasympathetic dominance or reduced sympathetic activity.
- These findings suggest that altered cardiac autonomic nervous system regulation may be a contributing factor to successful aging and extreme longevity.