TOPIC: Obstructive Lung Diseases TYPE: Original Investigations PURPOSE: Autonomic dysfunction is common in COPD, and worse autonomic function may be a marker of risk for acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of autonomic function which reflects sympathetic/parasympathetic balance, and incorporates vagal input from the lung. HRV measures typically require longer recording times, but 10-second electrocardiograms (ECG) have been shown to have moderate to strong correlation with HRV measures on longer recordings. We assessed whether HRV measures on 10-second ECG are associated with risk of AECOPD. METHODS: Secondary analysis of the BLOCK COPD trial (NEJM 2019). We measured the standard deviation of normal RR intervals (SDNN) and root mean square of successive RR interval differences (RMSSD) on baseline ECGs and day 42 ECGs (when dose titration was finalized). We used Cox-proportional hazards models to test if SDNN and RMSSD were associated with risk of any AECOPD, and separately for hospitalized AECOPD. We tested associations using baseline HRV measures, and additionally incorporated day 42 HRV measures by treating HRV measures as time-dependent covariates. We also tested for interactions with metoprolol assignment. Adjusted analyses incorporated FEV1 percent predicted, age, sex, race, coronary artery disease, long-acting antimuscarinic antagonist (LAMA) use, and randomized assignment to metoprolol vs placebo. T-tests were used to compare differences in change in HRV measures from baseline to day 42 between treatment groups. RESULTS: Of 532 trial participants, 529 (mean FEV1 41% predicted) were included in this analysis. We found no significant association between baseline HRV measures and risk of any AECOPD for SDNN [aHR 1.00 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.00)] or RMSDD [1.00 (0.99 to 1.00) for RMSSD]. Findings were similar for hospitalized AECOPD, and in time-dependent analyses incorporating day 42 measures. We found no significant interactions between HRV measures and assignment to metoprolol on time to AECOPD. Metoprolol was not associated with changes in SDNN (95% CI for difference in change between groups -6.4 to 3.1) or RMSSD (95% CI -10.8 to 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: HRV measures from 10-second ECG are not associated with risk of AECOPD. Compared to placebo, metoprolol did not affect these HRV measures. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: HRV measured on 10-second ECG is not associated with AECOPD risk, possibly due to limitations of these brief recordings. Future studies should assess longer or ambulatory ECG recordings, and include frequency domain HRV metrics, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis of HRV and AECOPD risk. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Selcuk Adabag, source=Web Response Speaker/Speaker's Bureau relationship with Boehringer-Ingelheim Please note: $5001 - $20000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Honoraria Grant Recipient relationship with Boehringer-Ingelheim Please note: $20001 - $100000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Advisory Committee Member relationship with GSK Please note: $5001 - $20000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Honoraria Grant Recipient relationship with GSK Please note: $20001 - $100000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Speaker/Speaker's Bureau relationship with GSK Please note: $1001 - $5000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Honoraria Advisory Committee Member relationship with Astra Zeneca Please note: $5001 - $20000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Grant Recipient relationship with Astra Zeneca Please note: >$100000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Consultant relationship with Regeneron Please note: $1001 - $5000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Advisory Committee Member relationship with Genentech Please note: $1001 - $5000 by Richard Casaburi, source=Web Response, value=Honoraria No relevant relationships by John Connett, source=Web Response Consultant relationship with AstraZeneca Please note: $1001 - $5000 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response, value=Personal fees Removed 04/26/2021 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response Consultant relationship with GSK Please note: $5001 - $20000 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response, value=Personal fees Removed 04/26/2021 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response Consultant relationship with AstraZeneca Please note: 2019-present Added 04/26/2021 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Consultant relationship with GSK Please note: 2019-present Added 04/26/2021 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Consultant relationship with PneumRx/BTG Please note: $1001 - $5000 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Removed 04/26/2021 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response Consultant relationship with Quark Please note: $5001 - $20000 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Removed 04/26/2021 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response Consultant relationship with Pulmonx Please note: $1-$1000 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response, value=Travel Removed 04/26/2021 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response Consultant relationship with Teva Please note: 2020-current Added 04/26/2021 by Mark Dransfield, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee No relevant relationships by Erika Helgeson, source=Web Response Consultant relationship with Nuvaira Please note: $1001 - $5000 by Ken Kunisaki, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Contracted clinical research support relationship with Sanofi Please note: $1001 - $5000 by Ken Kunisaki, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Contracted clinical research support relationship with AstraZeneca Please note: $1001 - $5000 by Ken Kunisaki, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Removed 03/23/2021 by Ken Kunisaki, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Sharon Ling, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by David MacDonald, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Takudzwa Mkorombindo, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Janos Porszasz, source=Web Response No relevant relationships Added 03/23/2021 by Harry Rossiter, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Removed 03/23/2021 by Harry Rossiter, source=Web Response No relevant relationships Added 03/23/2021 by Harry Rossiter, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Removed 03/23/2021 by Harry Rossiter, source=Web Response No relevant relationships Added 03/23/2021 by Harry Rossiter, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Removed 03/23/2021 by Harry Rossiter, source=Web Response No relevant relationships Added 03/23/2021 by Harry Rossiter, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Removed 03/23/2021 by Harry Rossiter, source=Web Response Investigator relationship with Astrazeneca Please note: >$100000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Author relationship with Wolters Kluwer Please note: $1001 - $5000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Royalty Investigator relationship with Boehringer-Ingelheim Please note: >$100000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Consultant relationship with Arena Please note: $1-$1000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Consultant relationship with Allergan - Syneos Please note: $5001 - $20000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Research Clinical Trial relationship with Department of Defense Please note: >$100000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Consultant relationship with Glaxo Smith Kline Please note: $1001 - $5000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Consultant relationship with Vyair Medical, Inc. Please note: $1001 - $5000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Reduced Fee Medical Equipment relationship with Medical Graphics Corporation Please note: $20001 - $100000 by William Stringer, source=Web Response, value=Equipment No relevant relationships by Donxing Zhao, source=Admin input