Spectral analysis of short-term blood pressure and heart rate variability in uremic patients

Short-term fluctuations in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were quantified to assess autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction in six dialysis patients, compared to six control subjects of similar age. Indirect finger BP was measured by a Finapres device. Analog-to-digital conversion of the BP was used to determine systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and HR every second. The equidistant sampling allowed a direct spectral analysis using a fast Fourier transform algorithm. Uremic patients exhibited reduced BP and HR short-term variabilities, with a dramatic reduction in the amplitude of the 0.1 Hz component (Mayer waves) of SBP and DBP spectra. Dialysis did not produce any consistent immediate improvement in the amplitude of the Mayer waves. Our study thus indicates impaired cardiovascular ANS function in uremic patients.