Reduced Heart Rate Variability Research Articles

Altered cardiac autonomic functioning associates with self-disorders in schizophrenia

Elevated resting heart rate (RHR) and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) are signs of autonomic nervous system dysfunction identified in schizophrenia (SCZ). This dysfunction has been found to manifest prior to the onset of the clinical diagnosis. Yet whether such autonomic dysfunction is associated with vulnerability to schizophrenia remains unknown.This case-control study included recent onset SCZ patients (n = 35) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 33). Patients were scored for self-disorders (SD's) using the EASE manual and all participants underwent a 5-minute resting state electrocardiogram (ECG) recording. Patients were included from outpatient clinics in Denmark. The main measures comprised EASE total scores (SDs), RHR (beats per minute) and three standard HRV measures usually included in testing autonomic nervous system dysfunction: root mean squared of successive differences (RMSSD), standard deviation of normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) and high-frequency/ low frequency ratio (HF/LF). Pearson correlations and linear regression models adjusted for age, sex and medication were used in the SCZ group.The main finding was a positive moderate association between SDs and RHR (r = 0.463; p = 0.005) and a negative association between SDs and HRV (RMSSD) (r = −0.440; p = 0.008) in the SCZ group. Linear regression models found SDs to explain 22 % of the variance of RHR and 19 % in RMSSD. SDs correlated with LF/HF (r = 0.434; p = 0.009), but non-significantly with SDNN.The study provides evidence of an intriguing link between SDs as a susceptibility trait for schizophrenia spectrum disorders and altered cardiac autonomic functioning.

The influence of virtual reality simulation on surgical residents’ heart rate during an assessment of arthroscopic technical skills: A prospective, paired observational study

HypothesisTo demonstrate that a virtual reality (VR) simulation training program reduces heart rate variability during an assessment of surgical trainees’ technical skills in arthroscopy. Study designProspective observational matched study. Materials & methodsThirty-six orthopaedic surgery residents, new to arthroscopy, received standard training in arthroscopic knee surgery, supplemented by additional monthly training for 6months on a VR simulator for 16 of them. At inclusion, the 2 groups (VR and NON-VR) answered a questionnaire and performed a meniscectomy on a VR simulator. After 6months of training, two independent trainers blinded to the inclusion arms evaluated the technical skills of the two groups during meniscectomies on a model and on an anatomical subject. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured using a wireless heart rate monitor during baseline, VR training, and assessment. ResultsAfter removing incomplete data, the analysis focused on 10 VR residents matched at inclusion with 10 NON-VR residents. The VR group had a significantly lower heart rate at the final assessment (p=0.02) and lower overall HRV (p=0.05). The low/high frequency ratio (LF/HF) was not significantly different between the groups (1.84 vs 2.05, p=0.66) but the before-after training comparison showed a greater decrease in this ratio in the VR group compared to the NON-VR group −0.76 (−41%) vs −0.08 (−4%). ConclusionThis study demonstrates a significant difference in heart rate variability between trained residents versus untrained residents during the final assessment of their technical skills at 6months. It appears that improving stress management should be an integral part of training programs in arthroscopic surgery. Clinical InterestVR simulators in arthroscopy could improve non-technical skills such as heart rate variability, from the perspective of accountability. Level of evidenceIII.

Evaluation of heart rate variability at 1-month after pulsed field ablation of atrial fibrillation and comparison with radiofrequency ablation

Abstract Background Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) is a nonthermal novel ablative modality in which high-voltage electric pulses are delivered to generate a high myocardial tissue-specific cellular death, with negligible consequences on surrounding structures including ganglionated plexi. The impairment of the cardiac autonomic ganglia after AF ablation with radiofrequency (RF) has been associated with an increase in mean heart rate (HR) and a reduction in heart rate variability (HRV) and might influence the long-term success of AF ablation. Little data is available on the effect of PFA on cardiac autonomic nervous function. Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate whether PFA ablation could lead to different values of HR and HRV compared to RF at 1-month post-ablation 24-hour Holter monitoring. Methods Between January to September 2023, we included consecutive patients undergoing AF ablation with PFA. According to our clinical practice, all patients performed a routine 24-hour Holter monitoring at 1-month post-ablation. Consecutive AF patients treated with RF were used as controls. Patients in treatment with antiarrhythmics or with documented recurrences of AF at 1-month post-ablation Holter monitoring were excluded. Results 22 consecutive PFA patients were compared to 22 consecutive RF controls. There were no differences in demographic, clinical and echocardiographic data between the 2 groups (Table 1). At 1-month post-ablation Holter monitoring (Table 2), PFA patients had significant higher values of VarIndex (2.18±0.9 vs 1.47±0.7, p=0.01), ASDNN/5min (52.37±15.93 vs 37.17±12.96, p<0.01), SDANN/5min (116.50±27.97 vs 96.03±28.38, p=0.04), and SD (128.95±31.31 vs 106.30±29.56, p=0.04). There was no difference in minimum HR (47.00±6.59 vs 50.29±10.25, p=0.21), mean HR (67.77±6.63 vs 69.24±9.71, p=0.56), and maximal HR (115.41±18.12 vs 110.81±16.44, p=0.39). Conclusions PFA leads to higher values of HRV parameters (i.e., VarIndex, ASDNN/5min, SDANN/5min, and SD) at 1-month post-ablation compared to RF. These data suggest a higher preservation of cardiac autonomic function with PFA, in contrast to RF. Whether the preservation of cardiac autonomic function with PFA might lead to higher rate of long-term AF recurrences remains to be determined.Table 1Table 2

Physiological stress responses in horses participating in novice endurance rides

Horses participating in endurance events encounter enormous physical challenges. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) have been reported before and after endurance rides, but these have not been determined during the rides. Moreover, the modulation in HRV and haematology in horses with different ride results (completed a course or disqualified due to irregular gait) have not been elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate changes in HR, HRV, and haematological parameters during novice endurance rides and to compare these parameters between horses that successfully completed the course (SC) or were disqualified for irregular gait (FTQ-GA). Beat-to-beat (RR) intervals of 16 healthy horses (aged 6–14 years) were recorded before and throughout the approximately 40 km endurance event. Blood samples were taken at the pre-ride inspection and after passing each veterinary inspection. HRV and haematology measures were determined from nine SC and seven FTQ-GA horses. Horses with different ride results demonstrated distinctive physiological stress responses. Increases in PCV, RBC, WBC and neutrophils after completing the ride were found only in SC horses, implying that they were ridden with greater effort than FTQ-GA horses. A reduction in HRV during warm-up, followed by a significant reduction during the first and second riding phases, was observed. HRV returned to baseline at the compulsory rest period of both phases. FTQ-GA horses experienced lower RR intervals, RR triangular index, modified deceleration capacity, very-low-frequency band, and parasympathetic nervous system index, coinciding with higher HR and sympathetic nervous system and stress indices than SC horses. These results indicated that endurance horses revealed a shift toward sympathetic activity during the ride. Lower parasympathetic activity in FTQ-GA horses suggests they were under more stress or discomfort than SC horses in novice endurance rides. These results have welfare implications, indicating the need for additional rest breaks in FTQ-GA horses.

A Prebiotic Diet Increases Cardiovascular Adaptability Under Hypergravity-Induced Stress

Life in space presents significant challenges to mammalian physiology and the longer one is in space, the greater the impact. Three major stressors are present in space: 1) changes in gravitational environment, 2) psychological/physiological stress, and 3) constant low dose radiation. It is critical, therefore, to discover interventions that promote stress resilience. Dietary prebiotics selectively increase the relative abundances of probiotic bacterial species in the gut. We have previously reported that a diet enriched in galactooligosaccharide (GOS) and polydextrose (PDX) compared to control diet robustly elevates parabacteroides distasonis, clostridium leptum, and reduces the negative impact of acute and chronic stress. Interoceptors (e.g., baroreceptors) sense gravity-induced changes in blood pressure and cardiac function/structure. There is evidence that hypergravity disrupts autonomic and cardiovascular homeostasis and function. Cardiovascular homeostasis depends on a sympathetic and parasympathetic balance reflected in heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiovascular stress. The following study was designed to test the hypothesis that GOS+PDX reduces the cardiovascular impacts of living in an altered gravitational environment. Adult female mice were housed in 1G or 3G and were fed GOS+PDX or a matched control diet for 4 weeks on the NASA Ames 1.22-meter radius centrifuge. We recorded electrocardiograms (ECG) in animals from all four groups immediately before, halfway through, and immediately after centrifugation. We analyzed HRV data using a Python-based Jupyter notebook and R. R was used to perform a 1F-LD-1F ANOVA with pair-wise comparisons to quantify changes in HRV longitudinally. Classic time domain based HRV metrics, standard deviation of the successive differences between adjacent R-R intervals and standard deviation of NN intervals, showed little change over time. Instead, frequency domain measures showed results were housing in 3G compared to 1G reliably changed Shannon entropy, Sample entropy, and low to high frequency ratio at each time-point. The changes across time reflected adaptation to hypergravity and a consequent reduction in HRV. Poincare plot analysis and low to high frequency ratio metrics showed divergent compensatory reactions between diets at 3G. Overall, 3G impacted HRV less in mice that were fed the prebiotic diet compared to the control diet. Further longitudinal studies with greater temporal resolution are needed to assess changes in HRV caused by gravitational changes. However, our data suggests the prebiotic diet significantly reduces 3G activation of sympathetic drive and increases parasympathetic drive, potentially reducing cardiovascular stress in animals exposed to high gravity. NASA grant 80NSSC19K1038 funded this project. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Abstract 2123: Evaluation Of Autonomic Neuropathy In Patients With T2DM By Measuring R-R Interval During Rest, Standing And Deep Breathing

Objective: In patients of diabetes mellitus (DM), heart rate variability (HRV), an index of autonomic nervous system activity, tends to be lower than in healthy individuals. This reduction in HRV is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to evaluate HRV under varying conditions with novel indicators in patients with DM. Methods: The patients were recruited from patients with type 2 DM (T2DM) aged 20 to 79 years old from two facilities from January 2020 to December 2023. The control comprised patients without DM. Patients taking oral corticosteroids, adrenergic agonists and antagonists, and those with malignant tumors were excluded. Heart rate (HR) was measured under varying conditions of rest, standing and deep breathing (inhalation and exhalation alternating every 5 seconds). The R-R interval variation was continuously recorded in each segment of 33 beats. Subsequently, the peak HRs for each load were obtained: minimum HR during rest (mHr), maximum HR during standing (MHs), and minimum HR during deep breathing (mHb). Additionally, the SD-RR for each load was calculated. Results: We analyzed a total of 117 subjects, including 75 with T2DM and 42 without DM. The participant demographics were as follows: mean age of 55.4±13.9 years, BMI of 25.9±5.6, eGFR of 71.5±26.1 mL/min/1.73m 2 , HbA1c of 7.31±2.26 %, with 46 % of male, and duration of T2DM in patient group at 8.2±8.3 years. The subjects were categorized into three groups: G1 - non DM with CV-RR≧2, G2 - T2DM with CV-RR≧2, and G3 - T2DM with CV-RR<2.mHr was G1: 64.5±7.4, G2: 69.4±7.7, G3: 75.2±13.1 (beats/minute, p<0.001). G3 is markedly higher than G1 and G2. Furthermore, the HR change ratio from mHr to MHs was: G1: 1.36±0.12, G2: 1.31±0.11, G3: 1.22±0.10 (p<0.001). G3 is markedly lower than G1 and G2. The HR change ratio from mHr to mHb was: G1: 0.99±0.04, G2: 0.96±0.05, G3: 0.96±0.05 (p=0.043), with G3 being markedly lower than G1. The SD-RR during rest was: G1: 26.4±18.6, G2: 28.0±12.5, G3: 10.1±4.4 (p<0.001), with G3 being markedly lower than G1 and G2. Conclusion: Assessing R-R intervals under varying conditions of rest, standing, and deep breathing can indicate autonomic nervous system dysfunction among patients with T2DM.

Nocturnal Heart Rate Response to Spontaneous Arousals Following Sleep Restriction

Short sleep duration is associated with future cardiovascular disease including hypertension, especially in females, but mechanistic evidence is largely lacking. Experimental sleep restriction has been shown to cause short sleep-mediated tachycardia and reduced heart rate variability, indicative of autonomic cardiac instability, in some but not all studies. Heart rate (HR) response to spontaneous cortical arousals can be regarded as an index of autonomic cardiac control given its characteristic temporal pattern. Whether the HR response to cortical arousals is altered during experimental sleep restriction remains unknown. We hypothesized that sleep restriction would result in augmented HR reactivity to spontaneous arousals, and that this response would be more marked in females. We studied 19 young, healthy subjects (eight females, age: 23.5 ± 5 years, body mass index [BMI]: 24.5 ± 3.6 kg/m2). In a randomized, crossover design, participants were tested during a normal sleep (NS, 9 hr sleep opportunity) or sleep restriction (SR, 4 hr sleep opportunity) study arm. Each 16-day study visit consisted of a 4-day study acclimation phase, 9-day experimental sleep perturbation segment, followed by a 3-day recovery period. An overnight polysomnography (PSG) study was conducted on study days 2, 5 and 11 (at baseline and after 1 and 7 days of restricted versus control sleep). A registered PSG technician provided sleep staging and spontaneous arousal scoring, which was confirmed by an investigator with sleep expertise (IMG). For each identified spontaneous arousal, the HR change was quantified for 30 cardiac cycles post-arousal onset and compared to a pre-arousal baseline (average HR 5 – 10 cardiac cycles prior to arousal). An arousal was considered valid for analysis if at least one minute of stage N2 or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurred following sleep stage transition and was at least 30 seconds apart from other sleep disturbance-related events (e.g., limb movement, apneic event, etc.). Given low prevalence of slow wave sleep (SWS) arousals, arousals occurring in that sleep stage were excluded from present analysis. Statistical analysis, including repeated measures ANOVA (RMANOVA, p < 0.05) with condition and time (cardiac cycles) as within-subjects factors and sex as the between-subjects factor, was conducted to compare the beat-to-beat HR response to arousal between study conditions. Additionally, average and peak HR responses to spontaneous arousals were compared via RMANOVA with condition and time (study days) as within-subjects and sex as between-subjects factors. HR response to spontaneous arousal in stage two and REM sleep was similar between NS and SR on study day 5 or day 11 (condition × time: p = 0.943, 0.865). Secondary analysis of average and peak HR responsiveness to spontaneous arousals in stage two and REM sleep between conditions and study days was also not statistically different (condition × time: p = 0.193, 0.185). Last, no significant sex differences were detected across comparisons (condition × time × sex: p > 0.05 for all). These findings suggest that a 9-day sleep restriction paradigm may not alter cardiac autonomic function in otherwise healthy adults. Future work is warranted to determine whether these results extend to individuals with established cardiovascular risk factors or cardiovascular disease. Support: NIH T32-DK007013, R01-114676, and CTSA grant UL1-TR002377. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Relation between heart rate variability and spectral analysis of electroencephalogram in chronic neuropathic pain patients.

Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) is a complex condition often arising from neural maladaptation after nerve injury. Understanding CNP complications involves the intricate interplay between brain-heart dynamics, assessed through quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) and heart rate variability (HRV). However, insights into their interaction in chronic pain are limited. Resting EEG and simultaneous electrocardiogram (lead II) of the participants were recorded for qEEG and HRV analysis. Correlations between HRV and qEEG parameters were calculated and compared with age, sex, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. CNP patients showed reduced HRV and significant increases in qEEG power spectral densities within delta, theta, and beta frequency ranges. A positive correlation was found between low frequency/ high frequency (LF/HF) ratio in HRV analysis and theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands in qEEG among CNP patients. However, no significant correlation was observed between parasympathetic indices and theta, beta bands in qEEG within CNP group, unlike age, sex, and BMI-matched healthy controls. CNP patients display significant HRV reductions and distinctive qEEG patterns. While healthy controls exhibit significant correlations between parasympathetic HRV parameters and qEEG spectral densities, these relationships are diminished or absent in CNP individuals. LF/HF ratio, reflecting sympathovagal balance, correlates significantly with qEEG frequency bands (theta, alpha, beta), illuminating autonomic dysregulation in CNP. These findings emphasize the intricate brain-heart interplay in chronic pain, warranting further exploration.

What do we know about the role of menopause in cardiovascular autonomic regulation in hypertensive women?

We investigated the systemic arterial hypertension effects on cardiovascular autonomic modulation and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in women with or without preserved ovarian function. A total of 120 women were allocated into two groups: middle-aged premenopausal women (42 ± 3 y old; n = 60) and postmenopausal women (57 ± 4 y old; n = 60). Each group was also divided into two smaller groups (n = 30): normotensive and hypertensive. We evaluated hemodynamic and anthropometric parameters, cardiorespiratory fitness, BRS, heart rate variability (HRV), and blood pressure variability. The effects of hypertension and menopause were assessed using a two-way analysis of variance. Post hoc comparisons were performed using the Student-Newman-Keuls test. Comparing premenopausal groups, women with systemic arterial hypertension showed lower BRS (9.1 ± 4.4 vs 13.4 ± 4.2 ms/mm Hg, P < 0.001 ) and HRV total variance (1,451 ± 955 vs 2,483 ± 1,959 ms 2 , P = 0.005) values than normotensive; however, the vagal predominance still remained. On the other hand, both postmenopausal groups showed an expressive reduction in BRS (8.3 ± 4.2 vs 11.3 ± 4.8 ms/mm Hg, P < 0.001) and HRV characterized by sympathetic modulation predominance (low-frequency oscillations; 56% ± 17 vs 44% ± 17, P < 0.001), in addition to a significant increase in blood pressure variability variance (28.4 ± 14.9 vs 22.4 ± 12.5 mm Hg 2 , P = 0.015) compared with premenopausal groups. Comparing both postmenopausal groups, the hypertensive group had significantly lower values ​​of HRV total variance (635 ± 449 vs 2,053 ± 1,720 ms 2 , P < 0.001) and BRS (5.3 ± 2.8 vs 11.3 ± 3.2 ms/mm Hg) than the normotensive. Hypertensive middle-aged premenopausal women present HRV autonomic modulation impairment, but they still maintain a vagal predominance. After menopause, even normotensive women show sympathetic autonomic predominance, which may also be associated with aging. Furthermore, postmenopausal women with hypertension present even worse cardiac autonomic modulation.

Heart rate variability and anthropometric parameters in smok-er’s vs nonsmoker’s status

Abstract: Heart rate variability (HRV) is a simple way to explore autonomic nervous activity. Current studies emphasize the need to identify a dependent relationship between smoking habit and HRV. The findings of these studies could demonstrate that smoking can have both an acute and a chronic effect on HRV. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between smoking and anthropometric data such as body weight, body fat distribution and heart rate var-iability. Our study involves measuring HRV parameters at rest and during two tests that are part of the Ewing test battery. Through the obtained data we can demonstrate that active smoking is associated with a reduction in HRV. At the same time, we can state that HRV is affected by dif-ferent behavior patterns of the smoker.complex individualized rehabilitation treatment.

Progressive QTc prolongation and reduced heart rate variability in dementia with Lewy bodies compared to Alzheimer's disease

IntroductionAutonomic dysfunction (AuD) is a significant clinical challenge in patients with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Manifestations of AuD such as orthostatic hypotension (OH) is associated with falls and decreased quality of life. Cardiac autonomic denervation is an early phenomenon in DLB and a potential contributor to OH. This retrospective study was undertaken to explore whether routine ECG tracings could be used to identify signs of autonomic dysfunction in DLB. Methods18 patients with DLB and 18 age-matched patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were included. ECGs and clinical data were analyzed retrospectively for heart rate variability (HRV) and QTc interval prolongation. ResultsDuring an average of 10 years observation time (first to last ECG recording), the QTc interval increased in the DLB group, but not in the AD group. HRV was significantly lower at end of follow-up in the DLB group than in the AD group. DLB patients with OH had greater QTc prolongation. ConclusionLongitudinal ECG analysis indicates that signs of AuD in DLB are reflected on routine ECG tracings. If confirmed in larger cohorts, this could influence risk stratification and help direct preventive measures.

Prediction model for mild cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes using the autonomic function test.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for cognitive impairment, and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) has been correlated with cognitive impairment in elderly individuals. This study investigated risk factors and validated a predictive model for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients with T2DM using an autonomic function test. Patients with T2DM, 50-85years of age, who attended the diabetes clinic at Gyeongsang National University Hospital between March 2018 and December 2019, were included. A total of 201 patients had been screened; we enrolled 124 patients according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria in this study. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean version (MOCA-K); MCI was defined as a total MOCA-K score ≤ 23. Risk factors for MCI in patients with T2DM, including demographic- and diabetes-related factors, and autonomic function test results, were analyzed. Based on multivariate logistic regression, a nomogram was developed as a prediction model for MCI. Thirty-nine of 124 patients were diagnosed with MCI. Age, education, and decreased cardiovagal function were associated with a high risk for MCI, with cardiovagal function exerting the greatest influence. However, diabetes-related factors, such as glycemic control, duration of diabetes, or medications, were not associated with the risk for MCI. The nomogram demonstrated excellent discrimination (area under the curve, 0.832) and was well calibrated. Approximately one-third of patients had MCI; as such, carefully evaluating cognitive function in elderly T2DM patients with reduced HRV is important to prevent progression to dementia.

Heart Rate Variability as a Prognostic Tool for Gastroschisis Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Critical Unit.

Gastroschisis is the most common congenital abdominal wall defect, with an increasing incidence. It results in extrusion of abdominal contents with associated delayed intestinal motility. Abnormal heart rate characteristics (HRCs) such as decreased variability occur due to the inflammatory response to sepsis in preterm infants. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that infants with gastroschisis have decreased heart rate variability (HRV) after birth and that this physiomarker may predict outcomes. We analyzed heart rate data from and clinical variables for all infants admitted with gastroschisis from 2009 to 2020. Forty-seven infants were admitted during the study period and had available data. Complex gastroschisis infants had reduced HRV after birth. For those with sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis, abnormal HRCs occurred early in the course of illness. Decreased HRV was associated with complex gastroschisis. Infants in this group experienced complications that prolonged time to full enteral feeding and time on total parenteral nutrition. · Infants with gastroschisis can be classified into two subcategories, simple and complex disease.. · Those with complex disease often require prolonged stays in the neonatal intensive care unit and costly hospitalizations. We hypothesized that infants with complex gastroschisis are more likely to have abnormal HRC due to intestinal inflammation.. · In this study, we identified associations between abnormal HRV, heart rate characteristicHRC, and the development of gastroschisis complications. Additionally, we described differences in clinical characteristics between infants with complex versus simple gastroschisis..

Tracking Cancer: Exploring Heart Rate Variability Patterns by Cancer Location and Progression.

Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) is an autonomic nervous system (ANS) response that may indicate dysfunction in the human body. Consistent evidence shows cancer patients elicit lower HRV; however, only select cancer locations were previously evaluated. Thus, the aim of the current study was to explore HRV patterns in patients diagnosed with and in varying stages of the most prevalent cancers. At a single tertiary academic medical center, 798 patients were recruited. HRV was measured via an armband monitor (Warfighter MonitorTM, Tiger Tech Solutions, Inc., Miami, FL, USA) equipped with electrocardiographic capabilities and was recorded for 5 to 7 min with patients seated in an upright position. Three time-domain metrics were calculated: SDNN (standard deviation of the NN interval), rMSSD (the root mean square of successive differences of NN intervals), and the percentage of time in which the change in successive NN intervals exceeds 50ms within a measurement (pNN50). Of the 798 patients, 399 were diagnosed with cancer. Cancer diagnoses were obtained via medical records one week following the measurement. Analysis of variance models were performed comparing the HRV patterns between different cancers, cancer stages (I-IV), and demographic strata. A total of 85% of the cancer patients had breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, or respiratory cancer. The cancer patients were compared to a control non-cancer patient population with similar patient size and distributions for sex, age, body mass index, and co-morbidities. For all HRV metrics, non-cancer patients exhibited significantly higher rMSSDs (11.1 to 13.9 ms, p < 0.0001), SDNNs (22.8 to 27.7 ms, p < 0.0001), and pNN50s (6.2 to 8.1%, p < 0.0001) compared to stage I or II cancer patients. This significant trend was consistently observed across each cancer location. Similarly, compared to patients with stage III or IV cancer, non-cancer patients possessed lower HRs (-11.8 to -14.0 bpm, p < 0.0001) and higher rMSSDs (+31.7 to +32.8 ms, p < 0.0001), SDNNs (+45.2 to +45.8 ms), p < 0.0001, and pNN50s (19.2 to 21.6%, p < 0.0001). The HR and HRV patterns observed did not significantly differ between cancer locations (p = 0.96 to 1.00). The depressed HRVs observed uniformly across the most prevalent cancer locations and stages appeared to occur independent of patients' co-morbidities. This finding highlights the potentially effective use of HRV as a non-invasive tool for determining common cancer locations and their respective stages. More studies are needed to delineate the HRV patterns across different ages, between sexes and race/ethnic groups.

Effects of cortisol administration on heart rate variability and functional connectivity across women with different depression histories

Abnormalities within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system have been implicated in depression. Studies have reported glucocorticoid insensitivity and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) in depressive disorders. However, little is known about the effects of cortisol on HRV and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the central autonomic network (CAN) in depression. We collected resting-state fMRI and cardiac data for women with different depression histories (n = 61) after administration of cortisol and placebo using a double-blind crossover design. We computed rsFC for R-amygdala and L-amygdala seeds and assessed the change in HRV after cortisol (cortisol-placebo). Analyses examined the effects of acute cortisol administration on HRV and rsFC of the R-amygdala and L-amygdala. There was a significant interaction between HRV and treatment for rsFC between the amygdala and CAN regions. We found lower rsFC between the L-amygdala and putamen for those with a greater decrease in HRV after cortisol. There was also reduced rsFC between the R-amygdala and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, putamen, middle cingulate cortex, insula, and cerebellum in those with lower HRV after cortisol. These results remained significant after adjusting for depression symptoms, age, and race. Our findings suggest that the effect of cortisol on CAN connectivity is related to its effects on HRV. Overall, these results could inform transdiagnostic interventions targeting HRV and the stress response systems across clinical and non-clinical populations.

Touch as a Stress Buffer? Gender Differences in Subjective and Physiological Responses to Partner and Stranger Touch

Interpersonal touch buffers against stress under challenging conditions, but this effect depends on familiarity. People benefit from receiving touch from their romantic partners, but the results are less consistent in the context of receiving touch from an opposite-gender stranger. We propose that there may be important gender differences in how people respond to touch from opposite-gender strangers. Specifically, we propose that touch from an opposite-gender stranger may only have stress-buffering effects for men, not women. Stress was induced as participants took part in an emotion recognition task in which they received false failure feedback while being touched by a romantic partner or stranger. We measured subjective and physiological markers of stress (i.e., reduced heart rate variability) throughout the experiment. Neither stranger’s nor partner’s touch had any effect on subjective or physiological markers of stress for men. Women, however, subjectively experienced a stress-buffering effect of partner and stranger touch, but showed increased physiological markers of stress when receiving touch from an opposite-gender stranger. These results highlight the importance of considering gender when investigating touch as a stress buffer.

Do friends get under the skin?: Everyday social encounters and cardiovascular functioning among Black and White adults in the United States.

Studies have shown that contact with friends enhances emotional health, but little is known about whether friends influence cardiovascular health. This study investigated (a) whether encounters with friends and the quality of these encounters were associated with cardiovascular reactivity in everyday life and (b) whether these associations varied by race. Participants were from the Stress and Well-being in Everyday Life Study which included Black (n = 76; aged = 34-76) and White (n = 87, aged = 34-91) adults residing in the United States. Participants provided background and social network information in a baseline interview, followed by a 4-day ecological momentary assessment in which they reported social encounters every 3 hr. Concurrently, participants wore an electrocardiogram monitor which collected physiological data in real time. To assess cardiovascular reactivity, heart rate variability (HRV) was analyzed. Multilevel models revealed that at times when individuals encountered friends (particularly positive encounters), they exhibited a momentary reduction in HRV (within-person association). But those with more friend encounters during the study period (particularly positive encounters) had higher HRV than those with fewer friend encounters during the study period (between-person association). These links were observed only among Black adults, but not among White adults. This study contributes to the conceptual model of social integration and enriches the literature on racial disparities in cardiovascular health from a social perspective. Findings highlight the implications of engagement with friends for momentary cardiovascular reactivity and suggest that friends may be more salient for Black adults' cardiovascular health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Pre-pregnancy BMI Association with Maternal Phenotype and Offspring Neurobehavioral Outcomes

BackgroundAllostatic load due to chronic exposure to physiological or psychological stressors lead to compromised capacity of the body to maintain homeostasis. Obesity as a metabolic stressor is associated with a suboptimal physiological milieu including an inflammatory state and a dysregulated stress axis. Perinatal maternal body mass index (BMI) impacts pregnancy, birth outcomes, and child metabolic and neurodevelopmental health. We examine the impacts of pre-pregnancy BMI on maternal phenotype characteristics throughout pregnancy and fetal heart rate measurements as an early marker of programming effects of altered autonomic nervous system and infant neurobehavioral outcomes with a focus on sex-dimorphic effects. MethodsPregnant women (n=176) attended sessions at gestation weeks 12-22, 23-28, and 34-36, where blood was collected for cytokine analysis and DNA methylation, and Edinburgh post-partum depression scale was administered. On the latter two visits, heart rate assessment was carried out for mothers and fetuses. ResultsMaternal high BMI was associated with higher perinatal depression, increased inflammation, and reduced heart rate variability. DNA methylation of maternal blood indicated enrichment in immune related biological processes. Moreover, we observed a decrease in fetal heart rate variability in female fetuses of women of high BMI, indicating alteration in the neurobehavioral development of the fetus. In infancy, female infants of high BMI mothers had reduced behavioral regulation and orientation to stimulus. ConclusionThis work highlights that the metabolic stress associated with BMI could leave a molecular fingerprint that could explain other maternal physiological and psychological outcomes, which in turn program the fetal neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Is reduced heart rate variability associated with functional somatic disorders? A cross-sectional population-based study; DanFunD

ObjectivesIt has been hypothesised that functional somatic disorders (FSD) could be initiated by sympathetic predominance in the autonomic nervous system as measured by low heart rate variability (HRV). Earlier studies...

Healthy lifestyle and essential metals attenuated association of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with heart rate variability in coke oven workers

Whether adopting healthy lifestyles and maintaining moderate levels of essential metals could attenuate the reduction of heart rate variability (HRV) related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure are largely unknown. In this study, we measured urinary metals and PAHs as well as HRV, and constructed a healthy lifestyle score in 1267 coke oven workers. Linear regression models were used to explore the association of healthy lifestyle score and essential metals with HRV, and interaction analysis was performed to investigate the potential interaction between healthy lifestyle score, essential metals, and PAHs on HRV. Mean age of the participants was 41.9 years (84.5% male). Per one point higher healthy lifestyle score was associated with a 2.5% (95% CI, 1.0%–3.9%) higher standard deviation of all normal to normal intervals (SDNN), 2.1% (95% CI, 0.5%–3.6%) higher root mean square of successive differences in adjacent NN intervals (r-MSSD), 4.3% (95% CI, 0.4%–8.2%) higher low frequency, 4.4% (95% CI, 0.2%–8.5%) higher high frequency, and 4.4% (95% CI, 1.2%–7.6%) higher total power, respectively. Urinary level of chromium was positively associated with HRV indices, with the corresponding β (95% CI) (%) was 5.17 (2.84, 7.50) for SDNN, 4.29 (1.74, 6.84) for r-MSSD, 12.26 (6.08, 18.45) for low frequency, 12.61 (5.87, 19.36) for high frequency, and 11.31 (6.19, 16.43) for total power. Additionally, a significant interaction was found between healthy lifestyle score and urinary total hydroxynaphthalene on SDNN (Pinteraction = 0.04), and higher level of urinary chromium could attenuate the adverse effect of total hydroxynaphthalene level on HRV (all Pinteraction <0.05). Findings of our study suggest adopting healthy lifestyle and maintaining a relatively high level of chromium might attenuate the reduction of HRV related to total hydroxynaphthalene exposure.