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Heart rate dynamics and cardiorespiratory coordination in diabetic and breast cancer patients
H Bettermann1, M Kröz, M Girke
1Department of Clinical Research, Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke, Herdecke, Germany.
Insights
This study reveals altered cardiac autonomic function in breast cancer patients, indicated by reduced heart rate variability (HRV). Musical heart rate rhythmicity effectively distinguishes between metastasized and non-metastasized cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Oncology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Cardiac autonomic dysfunction is a concern in breast cancer patients.
- Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis offers insights into autonomic function.
- Novel methods like musical heart rate rhythmicity can quantify cardiorespiratory coordination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate cardiac autonomic function in female breast cancer patients using linear and non-linear HRV.
- To assess cardiorespiratory coordination using musical heart rate rhythmicity.
- To compare breast cancer patients with healthy controls and diabetic patients.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of linear and non-linear heart rate variability (HRV).
- Application of musical heart rate rhythmicity using ECG recordings.
- Comparison of 37 breast cancer patients with 37 healthy women and 40 diabetic women during night sleep.
Main Results:
- Breast cancer patients exhibited a tendency towards lower HRV variability, complexity, and rhythmicity during sleep.
- Binary pattern predominance (PP) and heart rate-respiration ratio showed significant alterations.
- Musical heart rate rhythmicity differentiated metastasized from non-metastasized patients, indicating reduced cardiorespiratory coordination in advanced disease.
Conclusions:
- Breast cancer is associated with impaired cardiac autonomic function and cardiorespiratory coordination.
- Musical heart rate rhythmicity is a promising tool for assessing autonomic function and disease progression in cancer patients.
- HRV analysis provides valuable biomarkers for understanding the impact of cancer on cardiovascular health.
Abstract:
Objective of this study was to evaluate cardiac autonomic function in female breast cancer patients on the basis of linear and non-linear heart rate variability (HRV) as well as on musical heart rate rhythmicity. The latter method has been recently developed and enables particularly the quantification of cardiorespiratory coordination solely on the basis of ECG recordings. To provide a broad basis of comparability, 37 breast cancer patients were compared with 37 age-matched healthy women and 40 age-matched female diabetic patients who serve as pathological controls. During night sleep, all parameters showed a tendency towards lower variability, complexity or rhythmicity of HRV in cancer patients. The most prominent alterations were found for the binary pattern predominance (PP) and for the ratio of heart rate and respiration. In particular, when comparing metastasized and non-metastasized cancer patients, the discriminatory power of binary heart rate rhythmicity emerges: the histograms of 1-h intervals during night sleep with a predominance of cyclically recurrent phase locking patterns unveiled a clear transition from higher to lower cardiorespiratory coordination ratios and to a loss of coordination capability in metastasized patients.
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