PP.LB01.24

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Objective: To assess heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in hypertensive and normotensive postmenopausal women.Design and method: 203 women with surgical and natural menopause were included in the investigation: 115 normotensive women (average age 47,3 ± 5,4 years, menopause duration 4,8 ± 5,4 years) and 88 hypertensive patients (average age 43,2 ± 2,7 years, menopause duration 4,3 ± 2,1 years). 35 healthy women were included in the control group. Electrocardiogram was recorded in the supine position for 10 min. Spectral analysis included total power (TP), low and high frequencies (LF and HF) in absolute units. The LF/HF ratio was also calculated. All patients underwent ambulatory blood pressure and electrocardiogram monitoring (Cardiotens-01, Meditech, Hungary). Time-domain HRV parameters evaluated were the standard deviation of all normal RR intervals (SDNN), the root mean square of differences between adjacent R-R intervals (rMSSD) and the percentage of adjacent R-R intervals that varied by more than 50 ms (pNN50). Statistical methods such as Cruskell-Walles and Dan criteria were used. Results: TP, LF, and HF were significantly reduced in all postmenopausal women compared with healthy controls. SDNN, rMSSD and pNN50 were also significantly reduced in all postmenopausal women compared with healthy controls. All above indicators were significantly reduced in hypertensive postmenopausal women in compared with normotensive ones. LF/HF ratio was 2,2 times higher in hypertensive postmenopausal than in healthy women and it was 54% more than in normotensive postmenopausal women. This fact testifies about increased cardiac sympathetic modulation in postmenopausal women, especially in hypertensive ones. Conclusions: Decreased HRV at simultaneous signs of a sympathetic overactivity can reflect increased cardiovascular risk at postmenopausal (in particular hypertensive) women.