Cardiac Autonomic Function in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case-Control Study.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Cardiology
• Autonomic Neuroscience

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the spine and entheses.
• Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction is increasingly recognized in chronic inflammatory conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in AS patients.
• To explore the association between ANS function and disease activity or functional status in AS.

Main Methods:

• Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis was performed on 42 AS patients and 230 healthy controls.
• Disease activity and functional status were assessed using BASDAI, BASFI, and BAS-G scores.
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured.

Main Results:

• AS patients exhibited significantly lower low-frequency power (LF), LF normalized units (LF%), and LF/HF ratio compared to controls.
• Reduced high-frequency power (HF) showed a negative correlation with ESR and CRP.
• AS patients without peripheral joint disease or uveitis had better HRV parameters.

Conclusions:

• Ankylosing spondylitis patients demonstrate impaired cardiac autonomic regulation.
• Reduced autonomic function in AS is associated with inflammatory markers.
• Autonomic dysfunction may contribute to the elevated cardiovascular risk observed in AS patients.