Decreased heart rate variability in patients with psoriatic arthritis

The purpose of this study was to investigate autonomous regulation of the cardiac activity by means of the heart rate variability (HRV) assessment and possible influence of conventional cardiovascular risk factors and disease activity parameters on it in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In total, 38 patients with the reliable diagnosis of PsA without clinically manifest cardiovascular pathology, known rhythm or conduction disturbances, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia were included. In the control group, 25 age- and sex-matched healthy persons comparable with PsA patients in cardiovascular risk profile were included. For the HRV analysis, we used 5-min-long ECG records obtained at rest. Time and frequency domain parameters of HRV were calculated. Patients with PsA had decreased HRV in comparison to healthy controls as reflected by decrease of the standard deviation of normal R-R intervals (65.1 ± 66.8 vs. 83.2 ± 43.3 ms, respectively, p = 0.011), of the percentage of normal R-R intervals that differ by more than 50 ms (12.9 ± 15.4 vs. 20.6 ± 17.1 %, respectively, p = 0.035), and of the total power (2,069.4 ± 1,537.8 vs. 2,942.5 ± 1,734.2 ms(2), respectively, p = 0.006). A significant correlation of HRV parameters with disease duration and parameters of disease activity in PsA was found. Patients with PsA had impaired autonomous regulation of the cardiac activity, which is likely to be related to the presence of systemic inflammation and which could contribute to the increase of cardiovascular risk in this disease.