The relationship between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and heart rate variability, cardiac function indexes in essential hypertension

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relationship between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and heart rate variability (HRV), cardiac function in patients with essential hypertension. Methods One hundred and eighty patients with essential hypertensive from January 2014 to August 2016 were collected. The patients were divided into elevated group (baPWV ≥ 1 400 cm/s, 100 cases) and normal group (baPWV < 1 400 cm/s, 80 cases) according to the baPWV value. The general data, heart function and HRV of the 2 groups were compared. Results The standard deviation of all normal-to-normal (SDNN), standard deviation of all 5-min mean NN intervals (SDANN) and proportion of number of pairs of adjacent normal-to-normal intervals by more than 50 ms (PNN50%) in elevated group were significantly lower than those in normal group: (116.3 ± 17.0) ms vs. (135.8 ± 19.4) ms,(96.0 ± 21.4) ms vs. (120.0 ± 25.1) ms and (9.3 ± 3.1)% vs. (12.0 ± 4.1)%,and there were statistical differences (P 0.05); the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in elevated group was significantly lower than that in normal group: (57.2 ± 7.0)% vs. (63.0 ± 8.2)%, and there was statistical difference (P 0.05); the interventricular septal thickness (IVST) in elevated group was significantly higher than that in normal group: (11.4 ± 2.5) mm vs. (9.5 ± 1.4) mm, and there was statistical difference (P<0.01). In patients with essential hypertension, there was a significant negative correlation between baPWV and SDNN, SDANN, PNN50%, LVEF (P < 0.01), and there was a significant positive correlation between baPWV and IVST (P < 0.05). Conclusions The baPWV measured in patients with essential hypertension can effectively reflect the HRV and cardiac function of the patients. Key words: Hypertension; Heart rate; Brachial ankle pulse wave velocity; Heart function