Genome scan linkage results for heart rate variability (the Framingham Heart Study)

There is a substantial heritable component to the beat-to-beat variation in heart rate. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the control of heart rate variability (HRV) remain unknown. The present study sought to identify chromosomal regions linked to HRV phenotypes. The first 2 hours of ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings obtained from Framingham Heart Study subjects attending a routine examination were processed for HRV. HRV variables analyzed included very-low-frequency power, low-frequency power, and high-frequency power. Gender-specific residuals were used for log-transformed HRV data after adjustment for age, HR, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and coffee and alcohol consumption. In conjunction with a 10-cM genome-wide scan, HRV data were available for 725 subjects in 230 extended families, including 390 sibling pairs. Variance component log-of-the-odds (LOD) scores were obtained. The highest multipoint LOD scores were obtained for log very-low frequency on chromosome 15 at 62 cM (LOD 1.84) and for log low frequency on chromosome 2 at 153 cM (LOD 1.81). These data suggest there may be influential genetic regions contributing to HRV. Further studies are warranted to identify genes in these regions that may influence autonomic tone. Recognition of the genetic determinants of HRV may provide additional insights into the pathophysiology of the autonomic nervous system and offer clues to its modulation.