Related Experiment Videos
[Heart rate variability in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy]
Katarzyna Stolarz1, Agnieszka Olszanecka, Marek Rajzer
1I Klinika Kardiologii CMUJ 31-501 Kraków, ul. Kopernika 17. katarzyna.stolarz@student.kuleuven.ac.be
Insights
Patients with essential hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) show reduced high-frequency heart rate variability (HRV), indicating impaired parasympathetic activity. HRV did not differ between hypertensive patients without LVH and normotensives.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Function
- Hypertension Research
Context:
- Essential hypertension is a common cardiovascular condition.
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a significant complication of hypertension.
- Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis offers insights into autonomic nervous system regulation.
Purpose:
- To investigate heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with essential hypertension.
- To compare HRV parameters between hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).
- To assess the impact of LVH on autonomic modulation in hypertensive individuals.
Summary:
- This study analyzed HRV in 42 untreated hypertensive patients and 45 normotensive controls.
- Hypertensive patients were categorized based on the presence or absence of LVH, determined by echocardiography.
- HRV was measured using the CardioPSA System, analyzing total power, low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF) components.
Impact:
- Hypertensive patients with LVH exhibited significantly decreased HF components of HRV in both supine and upright positions compared to those without LVH.
- No significant differences in HRV components were observed between hypertensive patients without LVH and normotensive controls.
- The findings suggest impaired parasympathetic activity in hypertensive patients with LVH.
Abstract:
The aim of the study was to analyse the heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with moderate essential hypertension complicated by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Forty-two patients with untreated essential hypertension participated in the study group and 45 normotensives (16M, 29F, age 49.8 +/- 5.6 years) served as the controls. The hypertensives were divided into those with LVH (n = 25, 10M, 15F, age 50.1 +/- 5.9 years) and those without LVH (n = 17, 4M, 13F, age 52.0 +/- 3.4 years). HRV was recorded and analysed using the CardioPSA System, Medatec. In each subject, 30 min. of ECG recording was obtained: 15 min. in the supine, position and 15 min. in the upright position. Fast Fourier transform was used to analyse total power, low frequency (LF, 0.04-0.15 Hz) and high frequency components (HF, 0.15-0.40 Hz). Left ventricular mass was calculated from echocardiograms using the Deveraux formula. LVH was defined as a left ventricular mass index (LVM) > 134 g/m2 for men and > 110 g/m2 for women. A T-test was used to test for nter-group differences: p < 0.05 was considered as significant. In hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, we observed decreased values of HF component, both in supine and upright positions, as compared to hypertensives without LVH. Components of HRV did not differ between the hypertensives without LVH and the normotensives. In hypertensives with a LVH the high frequency component of HRV was decreased, indicating impaired para-sympathetic activity.