The circadian rhythm of heart rate variability in academic teachers with anxiety disorders

The academic teachers are increasingly diagnosed with anxiety disorders, which results from a high level of work-related stress. These disorders can be both an independent risk factor of many somatic conditions and the cause of complications of various organic disorders leading to poor prognosis. The purpose of this study is to compare the heart rate variability (HRV) recorded both during the day and at night in the academic teachers with anxiety disorders and healthy individuals.

The study was conducted on 38 academic teachers - consecutive outpatients with anxiety disorders who participated in the intensive group psychotherapy. The diagnosis was made according to Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria using the Present State Examination (PSE-10) questionnaire. Seventeen examined patients were diagnosed with panic disorder (PD) and 21 with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The control group consisted of 40 healthy academic teachers. The resulting 3 groups were compared in terms of circadian HRV using the Oxford Medilog Suprima Holter System.

The HRV analysis showed the nocturnal falls in the time and frequency parameters related to the parasympathetic activity, e.g., high frequency. The most unfavorable alterations were observed in the PD group, which comprised the disappearance of day vs. night amplitude of the majority of HRV parameters. Hence, the PD group was particularly susceptible to the arrhythmic events. It was noticeable that nocturnal vagotonia in the PD group was significantly lower as compared with the GAD and control group.

The innovative aspect of the present study was to find a distinct profile of HRV with regard to the types of anxiety disorders because of the existing considerable differences between the nature of PD and GAD. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2026;39(1):55-67.