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Reproducibility of blood pressure and inter-beat interval variability in man
M Jíra1, E Závodná, Z Nováková
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Insights
Blood pressure variability (BPV) and heart rate variability (HRV) are reproducible individual characteristics in young adults. These findings suggest BPV and HRV are stable physiological traits, important for understanding cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Function
Background:
- Increased blood pressure variability (BPV) and decreased heart rate variability (HRV) are linked to cardiovascular disorders.
- Understanding the reproducibility of BPV and HRV is crucial for their clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reproducibility of blood pressure variability (BPV) and inter-beat interval (heart rate) variability (HRV) in young, healthy individuals.
- To determine if BPV and HRV are stable individual characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Beat-to-beat blood pressure and inter-beat intervals were recorded in 152 healthy subjects (19-24 years) three times over one week.
- Spectral analysis was used to determine BPV and HRV indices at specific frequencies (0.1 Hz and 0.33 Hz).
- Intraindividual and interindividual variability were compared using ANOVA; correlations were assessed using Pearson's coefficient.
Main Results:
- All measured indices of BPV and HRV exhibited significantly lower intraindividual variability compared to interindividual variability.
- Mean values for all BPV and HRV indices strongly correlated with the distribution of individual values within each subject.
- These results indicate that BPV and HRV are consistent individual traits.
Conclusions:
- Blood pressure variability and heart rate variability are reproducible and stable individual characteristics in young healthy adults.
- The findings support the use of BPV and HRV as reliable physiological markers.
- This reproducibility is significant for future research and clinical assessment of cardiovascular health.
Abstract:
Increased blood pressure variability (BPV) and decreased inter-beat interval (heart rate, respectively) variability (IBIV, HRV respectively) are associated with cardiovascular disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of BPV and IBIV (HRV) in young healthy individuals. Blood pressure and inter-beat intervals (instantaneous values of heart rate, respectively) were recorded beat-to-beat at rest (5 min, Finapres, breathing at 0.33 Hz) in 152 subjects (19-24 years) 3 times in periods of one week. Systolic (SBPV(0.1r)/SBPV(0.1a)) and diastolic (DBPV(0.1r)/DBPV(0.1a)) blood pressure variability in relative (r.u.) and absolute (mmHg(2)/Hz) units and inter-beat interval (IBIV(0.1r)/IBIV(0.1a)), or heart rate (HRV(0.1r)/HRV(0.1a)) variability in relative (r.u.) and absolute (ms(2)/Hz, resp. mHz(2)) units were determined by the spectral method as spectral power at the frequency of 0.1 Hz and 0.33 Hz (SBPV(0.33r)/SBPV(0.33a), DBPV(0.33r)/DBPV(0.33a), IBIV(0.33r)/IBIV(0.33a), HRV(0.33r)/HRV(0.33a)). All indices of BPV and IBIV (resp. HRV) revealed a lower intraindividual than interindividual variability (ANOVA; p<0.001). The mean values of all indices in each subject significantly correlated with distribution of individual values in the same subject (Pearson's correlation coefficient; p<0.001). Blood pressure and inter-beat interval (heart rate) variability is an individual characteristic feature.
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