Heart rate variability of chronic alcoholics in withdrawal and abstinence

Measurement of heart rate variability was performed in 106 healthy volunteers and 31 alcoholics. The mean momentary arrhythmia (MMA) of normal individuals showed an exponential decrease with increasing age. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy was found in 5 of 31 alcoholics. In agreement with the concept of hyperexcitability the withdrawing alcoholics had a significant increase in heart rate and decrease in MMA compared to later measurements. The result suggests that the diagnosis of autonomic alcoholic neuropathy may be reliable only after at least a one week period of abstinence from alcohol.