Twenty-four-hour heart rate behavior in patients with impaired left ventricular function due to coronary heart

Cardiology
|January 1, 1987
PubMed

Insights

Coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with reduced left ventricular function exhibit altered heart rate (HR) patterns. Their HR does not slow sufficiently at night, correlating with the severity of their cardiac impairment.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiac Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) can lead to impaired left ventricular function.
  • Heart rate (HR) variability is a key indicator of cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate 24-hour heart rate (HR) patterns in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and varying degrees of left ventricular impairment.
  • To assess the relationship between left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and nocturnal HR behavior.

Main Methods:

  • A 24-hour Holter monitoring study was conducted on 45 CAD patients and 15 controls.
  • CAD patients were stratified into three groups based on ejection fraction (EF): >0.5, 0.35-0.5, and <0.35.
  • Spontaneous HR variations were analyzed over a 24-hour period.

Main Results:

  • No significant HR variation differences were observed between controls and CAD patients with normal EF.
  • CAD patients with reduced ventricular function showed higher nocturnal HR values, increasing with lower EF.
  • A significant linear correlation was found between EF and HR during the night (r=0.7 at 5 a.m.).

Conclusions:

  • Reduced left ventricular performance in CAD patients leads to an altered 24-hour HR pattern.
  • The nocturnal HR slowing is diminished in CAD patients, proportionally to the degree of left ventricular dysfunction.
  • HR monitoring can reveal impaired cardiac function in CAD patients.

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