Autonomic responses in chest pain syndromes as compared to normal subjects

The heart rate response to standing, cough, hand grip, and deep breathing were examined in normal subjects and coronary artery disease patients (greater than 70% diameter narrowing). The heart rate responses to these maneuvers were reduced in coronary patients and in anginal patients with normal coronary angiograms, as compared to normals. Detection (with the heart rate response to standing) was determined by using an RR interval cutoff of 140 ms for males and 120 ms for females discriminated between normals and CAD patients. In men sensitivity was 0.58, specificity 0.87 and CCR 0.75, and in women sensitivity was 0.67, specificity 0.79 and CCR 0.75. These values are similar to those reported for ST segment depression in similar populations. When separating normals from those with 2 and 3 vessel disease--sensitivity is 0.67, specificity 0.87, predictive value 0.71 and CCR 0.80. The response to cough, hand grip, and deep breathing showed similar trends but had less specificity than the response to standing. Thus, the heart rate response to most autonomic maneuvers is blunted in subjects with coronary disease and in those with pain syndromes sent for coronary angiography. These findings need testing in larger populations but autonomic maneuvers fail to discriminate patients with coronary disease from those with normal angiograms presenting with chest pain syndromes.