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Heart rate, heart rate variability and inflammatory biomarkers among young and healthy adults
Stefanie Aeschbacher1,2, Tobias Schoen2,3, Laura Dörig1,2
1a Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine , University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
Insights
Inflammation is linked to higher heart rate and lower heart rate variability in young adults. These findings highlight the connection between inflammation and the autonomic nervous system.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Immunology
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
Background:
- Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and inflammation are crucial factors linked to cardiovascular health.
- Understanding the interplay between these parameters is vital, especially in younger, seemingly healthy populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential interrelationships between heart rate, heart rate variability, and inflammatory markers.
- To assess these associations in a cohort of young and healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- A prospective population-based study included 2064 healthy individuals aged 25-41 years.
- 24-hour electrocardiography was performed, with standard deviation of normal RR intervals (SDNN) as the primary HRV measure.
- Inflammatory markers, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and total leukocyte (LC) count and subtypes, were analyzed from blood samples.
Main Results:
- Lower SDNN (HRV) was associated with higher hs-CRP, total LC count, neutrophils, and monocytes.
- Higher resting and ambulatory HR were positively associated with most inflammatory biomarkers, excluding lymphocytes.
- These associations remained significant after multivariable regression analysis.
Conclusions:
- Inflammatory parameters demonstrate a strong association with increased HR and decreased HRV in young, healthy adults.
- The findings suggest a significant interaction between inflammatory pathways and the autonomic nervous system.
- Biomarkers of inflammation are inversely related to HRV and positively related to HR, underscoring their interrelationship with the ANS.
Background:
Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and inflammation are all associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess potential interrelationships between these parameters in a young and healthy population.
Methods:
Healthy individuals aged 25-41 years were included in a prospective population-based study. All participants underwent 24-h electrocardiography using a validated device. The standard deviation of all normal RR intervals (SDNN) was pre-defined as the main HRV outcome variable. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), total leukocyte (LC) count and LC subtypes were obtained from venous blood samples.
Results:
A total of 2064 participants (47% men, 37 years) were included in this analysis. In multivariable linear regression analyses using SDNN as the outcome variable, β-coefficients (95% confidence intervals) per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase on the log-scale were -0.11 (-0.16; -0.07), p < .0001 for hs-CRP, -0.13 (-0.17; -0.09), p < .0001 for total LC count, -0.12 (-0.16; -0.08), p < .0001 for neutrophils, -0.04 (-0.09; 0.00), p = .05 for lymphocytes and -0.08 (-0.09; -0.02), p = .005 for monocytes. There were positive relationships between resting and ambulatory HR and inflammatory biomarkers, except for lymphocytes.
Conclusion:
In this large cohort of young and healthy adults, inflammatory parameters were strongly associated with increased HR and decreased HRV, suggesting an important interaction between inflammatory pathways and the autonomic nervous system. Key message Inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and leukocyte cell count with its subtypes were inversely associated with HRV and positively associated with HR. Our findings suggest important interrelationships between inflammatory pathways and the ANS.
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