Heart rate variability and heart rate recovery as prognostic factors

Heart rate (HR) can appear static and regular at rest, during exercise or recovery after exercise. However, HR is constantly adjusted due to factors such as breathing, blood pressure control, thermoregulation and the renin-angiotensin system, leading to a more dynamic response that can be quantified using HRV (heart rate variability). HRV is defined as the deviation in time between successive normal heart beat and is a noninvasive method to measure the total variation in a number of HR interval. HRV can serve as measure of autonomic activity of sino-atrial node. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of certain clinical and paraclinical parameters on heart rate recovery after exercise in patients with ischemic heart disease and the relation with HRV using 24 h Holter monitoring.

The study included 46 patients who were submitted to cardiovascular exercise stress test and also to 24 h Holter EKG monitoring. Subjects had a mean age of 56.2±11.2 years, with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 79 years. The study included 22 (47.8%) men and 24 (52.2%) women. Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc software version 14.8.1. Multivariate analysis consisted of the construction of several multiple linear regression models. A p value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The HRV values (time domain) were all lower in the IHD compared with the group without coronary heart disease, even if the difference is not statistically significant. Also rest and maximal HR values were similar but during the test varies in the sense that those with IHD had higher values of rest and maximal HR and lower HRR, but not statistically significant.

HRV is a very easy and safe method if there is an available device and it is used for evaluation of the autonomic nervous system in many cardiovascular diseases, but also in other pathologies. In uncomplicated ischemic heart disease HRV is depressed, but not significant. HRR, which is also considered an indicator of the parasympathetic activity after exercise termination, is also non-significantlly decreased in ischemic patients and the correlation between them is weak. Both HRV and HRR parameters can be easily measured, but the best algorithm of this issue requires further studies, conducted in larger patient populations. Although HRR and HRV are tools to measure the autonomic nervous system activity the relation between them need more studies to be able to quantify the arrhythmogenic risk.