Heart Rate Variability Variables Research Articles

Role of a 10-Week Exercise Intervention on Cerebral Hemoglobin Saturation, Cognitive Function, and Heart Rate Variability Within Elite Esports Players: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Esports demand peak cognitive performance from esports athletes (e-athletes), yet their sedentary lifestyle raises concerns. This pilot study explores the effects of aerobic exercise on executive function, cerebral hemodynamics, and heart rate variability (HRV) during gameplay. Methods: Six high-ranking male e-athletes (20.8 ± 2.1 years old), ranking in the top 10% of their game, were recruited. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy measured cerebral hemodynamics, cognitive tests assessed executive function, and electrocardiography measured HRV. Individualized exercise intensities were set through graded exercise testing, followed by a 10-week treadmill-based cardiovascular training program. Results: Postintervention, weight, and body mass index remained unchanged (p > .05), but the graded exercise test and heart rate deflection point significantly improved (p < .05). Executive function displayed faster reaction times in the Color Word Stroop Task, and notably more accurate responses in the Parametric Go/No-Go tasks (p < .05), with large effect sizes. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy revealed decreased oxygenated hemoglobin levels during rest, with moderate to large effect sizes, while HRV variables showed significant increases with large effect sizes. Conclusions: This pilot study introduces a 10-week exercise regimen for e-athletes, suggesting positive impacts on cerebral hemodynamics, executive functions, and HRV, warranting further research.

Psychosocial Stress Modifies the Acute Cardiac Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution.

Previous studies have shown that exposure to black carbon (BC, a tracer of traffic-related air pollution) and psychosocial stress are both associated with adverse cardiac effects, but whether psychosocial stress could modify the cardiac effects of BC is unclear. To investigate the potential modifying effect of psychosocial stress on the associations between acute exposure to BC and typical cardiac health variables, real-time personal 24 h measurements were conducted in a repeated-measure study among adults with elevated blood pressure (high-risk group) and a panel study among normal adults (low-risk group) in China. Measured cardiac health variables included ST-segment depression events, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) variables. Perceived Stress Scale, State Anxiety Inventory and Self-rating Depression Scale were used to assess the recent psychosocial stress status of the participants, and a composite stress index was established based on these scales. Generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze the associations between BC exposure and cardiac health variables and potential effect modification by psychosocial stress. A total of 97 24 h measurements among 97 participants in the repeated-measure study and 202 24 h measurements among 87 participants in the panel study were included in the final analysis. Acute BC exposure was significantly associated with increased ST-segment depression events and heart rate and decreases in HRV in both studies. The marginal effects of acute BC exposure on most cardiac health variables generally tended to be amplified under higher vs low levels of psychosocial stress in both studies, with the composite stress index apparently modifying the associations of BC exposure with most ST-segment depression events and HRV variables. These findings suggest that psychosocial stress may increase the participants' cardiac susceptibility to BC exposure, which could be helpful for the identification of susceptible individuals in the context of traffic-related air pollution.

Predictive Model of All-Cause Death in Patients with Heart Failure using Heart Rate Variability.

Central Illustration : Predictive Model of All-Cause Death in Patients with Heart Failure using Heart Rate Variability. Short and long-duration heart rate variability (HRV) data from Holter monitoring could identify predictors of all-cause death in heart failure (HF) patients. To build a predictive model of all-cause death in patients with HF using HRV. Retrospective study including patients with suspected or confirmed HF who were admitted for decompensated HF or syncope that underwent Holter monitoring. In analysis of augmented sympathetic tonus, we evaluated the lowest HRV in nonoverlapping 10-minutes periods throughout 24h continuous electrocardiographic signal recording (short HRV variables). Variables with p<0.01 were included in a multivariate Cox regression model to determine the occurrence of the all-cause death. Variables with statistical significance in Cox regression were chosen to build the predictive model. P<0.05 was considered significant. A total of 116 patients were included, mean age of 71.9±16.3 years, 45.7% men, mean follow-up of 2.83±1.27 years. Thirty-nine deaths occurred (33.6%). By comparing survivors vs. non-survivors, the variables that showed statistical significance were lowest SDNN, lowest rMSSD, age and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). In Cox regression, independent predictors of all-cause death were: age>69 years (HR 3.95, 95%CI 1.64-9.52); LVEF≤57% (HR 4.70, 95%CI 2.38-9.28) and lowest rMSSD≤12ms (HR 5.54, 95%CI 2.04-15.08). An integer value was assigned to each variable. Score<3 showed AUC=0.802 (95%CI 0.72-0.87). In HF patients hospitalized for decompensated HF or syncope, independent long-term predictors of all-cause death were age, LVEF, and 10-minutes rMSSD. These findings indicate that even brief moments of high sympathetic tone can impact survival, specifically in the elderly and patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction.

Heart Rate Variability in Concussed College Athletes: Follow-Up Study and Biological Sex Differences.

Finding reliable biomarkers to assess concussions could play a pivotal role in diagnosis, monitoring, and predicting associated risks. The present study aimed to explore the use of heart rate variability (HRV) in the follow-up of concussions among college athletes and to investigate the relationships between biological sex, symptomatology, and HRV values at baseline and after a concussion. Correlations between measures were also analyzed. A total of 169 (55 females) athletes aged 16 to 22 years old completed baseline testing, and 30 (8 females) concussion cases were followed. Baseline assessment (T1) included psychosocial and psychological questionnaires, symptoms report, and four minutes of HRV recording. In the event of a concussion, athletes underwent re-testing within 72 h (T2) and before returning to play (T3). Baseline findings revealed that girls had higher %VLF while sitting than boys, and a small negligible correlation was identified between %HF and total symptoms score as well as %HF and affective sx. Post-concussion analyses demonstrated a significant effect of time × position × biological sex for %HF, where girls exhibited higher %HF at T3. These findings suggest disruptions in HRV following a concussion and underscore biological sex as an important factor in the analysis of HRV variation in concussion recovery trajectory.

Investigating autonomic nervous system dysfunction among patients with post-COVID condition and prolonged cardiovascular symptoms.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and arterial pressure (AP) variability and their responses to head-up tilt test (HUTT) were investigated in Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) patients reporting tachycardia and/or postural hypotension. Besides tachycardia, PCS patients also showed attenuation of the following HRV parameters: RMSSD [square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent normal-to-normal (NN) intervals] from statistical measures; the power of RR (beat-to-beat interval) spectra at HF (high frequency) from the linear method spectral analysis; occurrence of 2UV (two unlike variation) pattern of RR from the nonlinear method symbolic analysis; and the new family of statistics named sample entropy, when compared to control subjects. Basal AP and LF (low frequency) power of systolic AP were similar between PCS patients and control subjects, while 0 V (zero variation) patterns of AP from the nonlinear method symbolic analysis were exacerbated in PCS patients. Despite tachycardia and a decrease in RMSSD, no parameter of HRV changed during HUTT in PCS patients compared to control subjects. PCS patients reassessed after 6 months showed higher HF power of RR spectra and a higher percentage of 2UV pattern of RR. Moreover, the reassessed PCS patients showed a lower occurrence of 0 V patterns of AP, while the HUTT elicited HR (heart rate) and AP responses identical to control subjects. The HRV and AP variability suggest an autonomic dysfunction with sympathetic predominance in PCS patients. In contrast, the lack of responses of HRV and AP variability indices during HUTT indicates a marked impairment of autonomic control. Of note, the reassessment of PCS patients showed that the noxious effect of COVID-19 on autonomic control tended to fade over time.

Effect of Exercise in a Vector-Protected Arena for Preventing African Horse Sickness Transmission on Physiological, Biochemical, and Behavioral Variables of Horses

During an African horse sickness (AHS) outbreak, horses were able to exercise daily in a net-covered arena, yet the physiological responses to exercise in a netted arena was unknown. In a cross-over study design, eight horses performed a 39-minute aerobic exercise in conventional (CA) and vector-protected arenas (VPA). Horses were slower in some gaits and covered less distance in the VPA arena (P < .01). Cortisol release, hematology, and heart rate variability (HRV) were also examined. An interaction between the riding arena and time was observed in hematocrit (P = .0013), hemoglobin (P = .0012), and red blood cell count (P = .0027) and HRV variables, including mean beat-to-beat (RR) intervals (P < .0001), mean heart rate (P < .0001), sympathetic nervous system (SNS) index (P = .0038) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) index (P < .0001). Cortisol concentrations increased during exercise and 30 minutes postexercise in both arenas. Hematocrit, hemoglobin, and red blood cell count increased immediately postexercise in horses in VPA while remaining high from immediate post-exercise to 60 minutes postexercise in horses in CA. HRV decreased during exercise and was not different between horses in both arenas, but a higher RR interval and PNS index, corresponding to lower heart rate and SNS index, were detected during 30 to 60 minutes postexercise in horses in the VPA compared to the CA. Riding horses in different arenas impacted hematological and HRV variables. The greater RR intervals and PNS index, coinciding with the lower SNS index and heart rate, indicated parasympathetic dominance post-exercise in horses in VPA compared to CA.

Effectiveness of Cold Spinal Spray on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Hypertension—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The application of cold to the spine is documented as favourable for reducing blood pressure in patients with hypertension (HTN). However, hydriatic application in the form of a cold spinal spray (CSS) has not yet been explored.Objective: To find the effectiveness of CSS on cardio autonomic variables among males with HTN. Methods: One hundred male patients with HTN visiting the outpatient service were included in this randomized controlled trial. A single session of CSS (15°C–19°C) was given to 50 patients for a period of 20 minutes for the study group, and the control group was made to lie down on the spinal spray tub for 20 minutes without any intervention. Baseline blood pressure and short-term heart rate variability (HRV) measurements were obtained prior to the intervention, followed by a subsequent assessment after a 20-minute interval for both groups. Results: Following 20 minutes of CSS a significant decrease was observed in systolic blood pressure (136.48±14.15 mmHg to 126.20±13.18 mmHg, p&lt;0.001), diastolic blood pressure (87.96±6.77 mmHg to 84.06±6.84 mmHg, p&lt;0.006), pulse pressure (48.44±11.99 mmHg to 42.08±10.88 mmHg, p&lt;0.007), and mean arterial pressure (104.09±8.12 mmHg to 98.05±7.88 mmHg, p&lt;0.001). No significant changes were noted in HRV variables in either of the two patient groups. Conclusion: The current study findings suggest that a single session of CSS intervention could lower both systolic &amp; diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure in male hypertensive patients. Further studies are needed to find the long-term effect of CSS among patients with HTN.

Autonomic dysregulation in long-term patients suffering from Post-COVID-19 Syndrome assessed by heart rate variability

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS) is a condition with multiple symptoms partly related to dysregulation of the autonomic nerve system. Assessment of heart rate variability (HRV) using 24 h Holter-ECG may serve as a surrogate to characterize cardiac autonomic activity. A prospective study including 103 PCS patients (time after infection = 252 days, age = 49.0 ± 11.3 years, 45.7% women) was performed and patients underwent detailed clinical screening, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and 24 h Holter monitoring. Data of PCS patients was compared to 103 CAD patients and a healthy control group (n = 90). After correction for age and sex, frequency-related variables differed in PCS patients compared to controls including LF/HFpower, LF/HFnu, and LF/HF ratio (24 h; p ≤ 0.001). By contrast, these variables were largely comparable between PCS and CAD patients, while sympathetic activation was highest in PCS patients during the 24 h period. Overall, PCS patients showed disturbed diurnal adjustment of HRV, with impaired parasympathetic activity at night. Patients hospitalized during acute infection showed an even more pronounced overactivation of sympathetic activity compared to patients who underwent ambulant care. Our data demonstrate persistent HRV alterations in PCS patients with long-term symptom duration, suggesting a sustained impairment of sympathovagal balance. Moreover, sympathetic overstimulation and diminished parasympathetic response in long-term PCS patients are comparable to findings in CAD patients. Whether HRV variables have a prognostic value in PCS and/or might serve as biomarkers indicating a successful interventional approach warrants further longitudinal studies.

Analyzing the effect of postural change on heart rate variability using multi-distance sample entropy (MDSE)

One of the most studied physiological measures is heart-rate variability. In this research paper, a new nonlinear method called Multi Distance Sample Entropy (MDSE) is proposed to accurately detect the variation of Heart rate variability (HRV) for different body postures and examine its effect on the activity of the autonomic nervous system. The proposed method used a multi-distance function to calculate the distance between other matched vector pairs. The goal of employing considerable distances is to investigate the distance aspect for enhancing the accuracy of recognizing the proper trend of HRV for the postural shift. Thus, the ECG signals of 55 participants were recorded in the supine posture for 10 min and similarly, for 10 min in the standing posture using the BIOPAC®MP36 system. The noise signals have been simulated for varieddata lengths, and their error bars have been plottedusing the proposed and conventional sample entropy (SE) methods to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed MDSE method over the SE. Afterward, the proposed method (MDSE) and other existing methods were applied to the recorded dataset. From the obtained results, it is clear that the proposed method can accurately detect the variation of HRV in supine and standing postures than other applied methods. Using the MDSE method, HRV trends are 6.91% more accurate than Conventional SE and 10.85% more accurate than approximation entropy (AE) for the recorded dataset. The Spearman rank correlation between proposed and applied nonlinear methods has also been evaluated.

Cardiovascular variations in patients with major depressive disorder versus bipolar disorder

BackgroundDifferentiating depression in major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder is challenging in clinical practice. Therefore, reliable biomarkers are urgently needed to differentiate between these diseases. This study's main objective was to assess whether cardiac autonomic function can distinguish patients with unipolar depression (UD), bipolar depression (BD), and bipolar mania (BM). MethodsWe recruited 791 patients with mood disorders, including 191 with UD, 286 with BD, and 314 with BM, who had been drug free for at least 2 weeks. Cardiovascular status was measured using heart rate variability (HRV) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) indicators via finger photoplethysmography during a 5-min rest period. ResultsPatients with BD showed lower HRV but higher heart rates than those with UD and BM. The PWV indicators were lower in the UD group than in the bipolar disorder group. The covariates of age, sex, and body mass index affected the cardiovascular characteristics. After adjusting for covariates, the HRV and PWV variations among the three groups remained significant. Comparisons between the UD and BD groups showed that the variable with the largest effect size was the frequency-domain indices of HRV, very low and high frequency, followed by heart rate. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for each cardiovascular variable ranged from 0.661 to 0.714. The High-frequency index reached the highest AUC.Limitations.Cross-sectional design and the magnitude of heterogeneity across participants with mood disorders limited our findings. ConclusionPatients with BD, but not BM, had a greater extent of cardiac imbalance than those with UD. Thus, HRV may serve as a psychophysiological biomarker for the differential diagnosis of UD and BD.

Heart rate variability in patients with psychiatric disorders from adolescence to adulthood

ObjectiveAge is associated with changes in autonomic nervous system activity. These changes are assessed using heart rate variability(HRV) indicators; however, the effect of age on HRV in patients with psychiatric disorders remains unclear. Our study aimed to explore this effect and determine its variance across different lifespans. MethodConsecutive patients(N = 3315), comprising 1833 patients with psychotic disorders, 1040 with mood disorders, and 442 with anxiety disorders, were recruited. The patients were divided into four age groups: adolescence(10–24 years), early adulthood(25–39 years), middle adulthood(40–59 years), and late adulthood(60+ years). HRV indicators were measured during a 5-min rest period. ResultsThe heart rate and HRV indices were higher in the adolescent and early adulthood groups than they were in the middle and late adulthood groups(increased HRV is beneficial for health, while reduced HRV is detrimental). Age and all the HRV indices were negatively correlated(r-values 0.153–0.350, p < 0.001), with these correlation patterns being more evident in the adolescent and early adulthood groups than in the middle and late adulthood groups. Stratified by sex, the low-frequency/high-frequency ratio was higher in men than in women across most age groups(p < 0.05), except the late adulthood group(p = 0.085). Stratified by diagnosis, most HRV variables(except very low-frequency) were lower in the psychotic disorder group than they were in the mood and anxiety disorder groups, especially in middle and late adulthood patients. After adjusting for confounders, the HRV variables were significantly associated with age, while older age was associated with lower HRV. ConclusionsThese results indicate that the substantial reduction in HRV with age in patients with psychiatric disorders. The association remains significant after correction for sex, heart rate, and diagnoses; this may prove useful to clinical practice and further research.

Heart rate variability and the quality of life of patients receiving chemotherapy against gynecologic malignancies.

106 Background: Improving quality of life (QOL) of patients with cancer is essential. However, evaluating QOL requires completing QOL questionnaires consisting of 30–40 questions, which is too burdensome for the patients to continue. Therefore, development of the methodology which does not dependent on the adherence of the patients is urgent to evaluate QOL. Recently, heart rate variability (HRV) has been reported to be associated with the autonomic nervous system. This study aims to develop and validate a machine-learning model to predict QOL from HRV. Methods: Fifty patients with gynecological cancers from our hospital were used as test data, and 15 patients with gynecological cancer from other hospitals were used as validation data. Using a mobile application, they recorded daily HRV and weekly QOL questionnaires (EORTC qlq-C30, FACT-G, PHQ9, PRO-CTCAE). A binary classification model was developed using the XgBoost Classifier to predict whether patients experienced at least one of severe numbness, insomnia, depression, and fatigue using their HRV. SHAP values of the HRV used for prediction were clustered into three groups using unsupervised learning (Parametric Umap). QOL indices for each group were compared. Metabolites in serums that contribute to HRV variation were identified using metabolome analysis. Results: Clustering using the SHAP values indicated high, middle, and low QOL groups (Group A, B, and C, respectively). The total score of FACT-G, an index of overall QOL, was 82.4, 72.7, and 67.3 out of 108 (Group A, B, and C, respectively). Global health status, another index of overall QOL was also highest in Group A and lowest in Group C. The score of fatigue was 27.2, 46.3, and 54.9 out of 100; the score of pain was 17.6, 27.2, and 35.8 out of 100; the score of depression was 1.8, 4.5, and 6.6 out of 27 (Group A, B, and C, respectively). The scores of numbness, diarrhea, appetite loss, insomnia and nausea were also highest in the Group C and lowest in the Group A. The HRV of validation datasets also showed a similar classification with total scores of FACT-G as 76.0, 67.8, and 62.1 and the score of depression as 3.8, 5.7 and 8.0 (Group A, B, and C, respectively). Metabolites in serum contributing to HRV variation are Arachidonic acid and Dopamine, which are associated with inflammation and depression. Conclusions: Measuring HRV is a simple way to evaluate the QOL of patients with gynecologic cancers. Monitoring QOL over time using HRV possibly allows early detection of deterioration in QOL, such as complications and side effects of chemotherapy. Clinical trial information: UMIN000038937 .

Fractal complexity alternations in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients with and without recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation.

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a cornerstone therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). The variations in nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) between patients with and without recurrences remain unclear. We aimed to characterize the nonlinear HRV before and after PVI in patients with and without recurrence. Twenty-five drug-refractory PAF patients (56.0 ± 9.1 years old, 20 males) who received PVI were enrolled. Holter electrocardiography were performed before, 1-3, and 6-12 months after PVI. After 8.2 ± 2.5 months of follow-ups after PVI, patients were divided into two groups: the recurrence (n = 8) and non-recurrence (n = 17) groups. Linear and nonlinear HRV variables were analyzed, including the Poincaré Plot analysis and the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA). The non-recurrence group, but not the recurrence group, had decreased high-frequency component (HF), the root mean square of successive RR interval differences (RMSSD), and the Poincaré Plot index SD1 1-3 months after PVI and increased DFAslope2 6-12 months after PVI. The non-recurrence group's LF/HF ratio and DFAslope1 decreased significantly 1-3 and 6-12 months after PVI, respectively, whereas there was no significant change in the recurrence group after PVI. Significantly reduced vagal tone 1-3 months after PVI, increased long-term fractal complexity 6-12 months after PVI, and decreased sympathetic tone as well as short-term fractal complexity 1-3 and 6-12 months after PVI led to a better AF-free survival after PVI. These findings suggest that neuromodulation and heart rate dynamics play crucial roles in AF recurrence following PVI.

Impact of Heart Rate Variability on Physiological Stress: Systematic Review

Chronic stress overactivates the sympathetic nervous system, which alters the body, mind, and behavior. Purpose Stress can indeed be employed to preserve homeostasis when there is a physical or mental imbalance brought on by damaging stimuli. Currently, there isn't a standard reference point for quantifying stress. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to assess studies that support the use of heart rate variability (HRV) as an indicator of stress. Methods and Materials: Studies concerning HRV that have been published in bibliographic database from 2013 to 2023 were firstly selected. A total of 181 articles were found, 69 in Elsevier, 51 in Google Scholar, 38 PubMed, and 23 in other databases. The criteria selected were human study, HRV reactivity and the HRV as an objective indicator of psychological stress. Only human study was restrained. Finally, ten publications that fit criteria were found. Results: Majority of research selected found that HRV components changed in response to stress brought on by diverse techniques. The most often cited component associated with variance in HRV variables was a drop in the high-frequency band and an increase in the low-frequency band, both of which are markers of diminished parasympathetic activity. HRV may be related to cortical areas that are engaged in evaluating stressful situations, according to neuroimaging research. Conclusion: The findings support the use of HRV for the purpose of evaluating stress and mental health objectively, and neurobiological data suggests that HRV is impacted by stress reactions.

Heart rate variability and haemodynamic function in individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of cardiac autonomic function. This study: (1) evaluated the differences in HRV and haemodynamic function between individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and healthy controls, and (2) determined the relationship between HRV and haemodynamic variables in individuals with HCM. Twenty-eight individuals with HCM (n=7, females; age 54±15 years; body mass index: 29±5 kg/m2 ) and 28 matched healthy individuals (n=7 females; age 54±16 years; body mass index: 29±5 kg/m2 ) completed 5-minute HRV and haemodynamic measurements under resting (supine) conditions using bioimpedance technology. Frequency domain HRV measures (absolute and normalised low frequency power (LF), high frequency power (HF) and LF/HF ratio) and RR interval were recorded. Individuals with HCM demonstrated higher vagal activity (i.e., absolute unit of HF power (7.40±2.50 vs. 6.03±1.35 ms2 , p=0.01) but lower RR interval (914±178 vs. 1014±168 ms, p=0.03) compared to controls. Stroke volume (SV) index and cardiac index were lower in HCM compared to healthy individuals (SV, 33±9 vs. 43±7 ml‎/beat‎/m², p<0.01; cardiac index,2.33±0.42 vs. 3.57±0.82 L/min/m2 , p<0.01), but total peripheral resistance (TPR) was higher in HCM (3468±1027 vs. 2953±1050 dyn·s·m2 cm-5 , p=0.03). HF power was significantly related to SV (r=-0.46, p<0.01) and TPR (r=0.28, p<0.05) in HCM. Short-term frequency domain indices of HRV provide a feasible approach to assess autonomic function in individuals with HCM. Vagal activity, represented by HF power, is increased, and associated with peripheral resistance in individuals with HCM. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Effects of Preoperative Sarcopenia-Related Parameters on Cardiac Autonomic Function in Women with Obesity Following Bariatric Surgery: A One-Year Prospective Study.

Investigate changes in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) in women with and without sarcopenia-related parameters who underwent bariatric surgery (BS) during a one-year follow-up. Women were separated into obesity (OB, n = 20) and women with obesity displaying sarcopenia-related parameters (SOP, n = 14) and evaluated before BS and 3, 6, and 12 months after BS. SOP was defined as low handgrip strength (HS) and/or low appendicular skeletal mass adjusted for weight (ASM/wt × 100, %) in the lowest quartile of the sample. ASM/wt × 100, % and HS were significantly lower in SOP than OB over a one-year follow-up of BS (p < 0.05). There was a reduction in diastolic BP, heart rate (HR), SDHR, LF, and the LF/HF ratio (p < 0.05) and an increase in the HF band in both groups during the follow-up period (p < 0.05). SOP women had reduced root mean square differences of successive RR intervals (RMSSD) and HF band and an increased LF band and SD2/SD1 ratio compared to the OB group during the one-year follow-up (p < 0.05). ASM/wt × 100, % was negatively associated with the LF band (r = -0.24, p = 0.00) and positively associated with the HF band (r = 0.22, p = 0.01). Conversely, HS had no association with LF (r = -0.14, p = 0.09) and HF (r = 0.11, p = 0.19). ASM/wt × 100, % and HS were negatively associated with the LF/HF ratio (p < 0.05). Women who underwent BS had an improved HRV over a one-year follow-up. However, the improvement in HRV variables was less pronounced in women with low muscle mass and/or HS during the follow-up period.

Effect of Preferential Relaxing Music on Exercise-Induced Changes in Autonomic Function of the Heart

Context: Music has been used for healing purposes since ancient times. Music therapy is a growing branch which can facilitate and promote a healthy mind and body. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) may serve as one path by which music exerts its therapeutic effects. Interaction between the ANS and cardiovascular system during exercise can be of prognostic importance in many cardiovascular diseases. The measurement of the effects of musical auditory stimulation, using non-invasive test of heart rate variability (HRV), on cardiac auditory response while under stressful condition, like exercise, would help understand the usability of musical interventions in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Aim: To gauge the effects of preferential relaxing music on exercise-induced changes in frequency domain parameters (LF, low frequency; HF, high frequency; LF: HF ratio) of HRV. Setting and Design: Experimental study design. Methods and Materials: Sample size—52 healthy young adult volunteers (18–25 years). HRV was measured from the ECG obtained at rest, while listening to preferential relaxing music, after doing moderate exercise and after doing moderate exercise while listening to preferential relaxing music. Statistical Analysis Used: Comparison of frequency domain HRV variables was done using paired t-test. Results: Non-significant increase in HF component (P value = 0.3) and non-significant decrease in LF: HF ratio (P value = 0.06) after doing moderate exercise with music when compared with after doing moderate exercise without music was observed. Conclusion: Preferential relaxing music attenuated exercise-induced decrease in parasympathetic activity post-exercise.

Lower ultra-short-term heart rate variability can predict worse mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis

BackgroundPsychological stress has been proved to be a risk factor for exacerbation for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, traditional approaches of quantifying psychological stress using psychological scales are time-consuming and the results may not be comparable among patients with different educational levels and cultural backgrounds. Alternatively, heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator for psychological stress and not biased by educational and cultural backgrounds.AimsIn this study, we try to explore the relationship between psychological stress and UC by analyzing the effect of ultra-short-term HRV on mucosal and histological remission status of UC.MethodsThis is a retrospective case–control study on UC inpatients from 2018 through 2020. Ultra-short-term HRV were calculated using baseline electrocardiography. Patients were divided intocase and control groups according to their Mayo endoscopic scores or histological Geboes scores. Three variables of ultra-short-term HRV (the standard deviation of normal to normal R-R intervals (SDNN), the standard deviation of successive differences between adjacent normal to normal R-R intervals (SDSD), the root mean square of successive differences of normal to normal R-R intervals (RMSSD)) were compared between different groups. And for those variables with significant differences, we built univariate and multivariate logistic regressions to depict the relationship between HRV variables and remission status of UC.ResultsAll three HRV variables showed significant differences between the mucosal groups. However, none of them showed significant difference between the histological groups. In further logistic regression analyses, smaller RMSSD can predict severe mucosal healing status (OR = 5.21).ConclusionsLower ultra-short-term HRV (i.e. smaller RMSSD) is shown to positively correlate with worse mucosal healing status. However, ultra-short-term HRV cannot predict histological healing status according to our data.

Imbalance of Peripheral Temperature, Sympathovagal, and Cytokine Profile in Long COVID.

A persistent state of inflammation has been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess short-term heart rate variability (HRV), peripheral body temperature, and serum cytokine levels in patients with long COVID. We evaluated 202 patients with long COVID symptoms categorized them according to the duration of their COVID symptoms (≤120 days, n = 81; >120 days, n = 121), in addition to 95 healthy individuals selected as controls. All HRV variables differed significantly between the control group and patients with long COVID in the ≤120 days group (p < 0.05), and participants in the long COVID ≤120 days group had higher temperatures than those in the long COVID >120 days group in all regions analysed (p < 0.05). Cytokine analysis showed higher levels of interleukin 17 (IL-17) and interleukin 2 (IL-2), and lower levels of interleukin 4 (IL-4) (p < 0.05). Our results suggest a reduction in parasympathetic activation during long COVID and an increase in body temperature due to possible endothelial damage caused by the maintenance of elevated levels of inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, high serum levels of IL-17 and IL-2 and low levels of IL-4 appear to constitute a long-term profile of COVID-19 cytokines, and these markers are potential targets for long COVID-treatment and prevention strategies.

Validity of Heart Rate Variability Measurement by Polar® V800 Heart Rate Monitor in Critically Ill Patients

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is a relevant indicator of autonomic nervous system function over the cardiovascular system. The usual way to measure this variability is from the electrocardiogram (ECG). Objective: To assess the validity of HRV measurements obtained from a heart rate monitor (HRM) Polar® V800 in critically ill adult subjects. Materials and Methods: A prospective, repeated measures, observational study was conducted in two in the Chilean intensive care units. Twenty-one different HRV variables were simultaneously assessed using a Polar® V800 HRM and an ECG Mortara® H3 Holter device. The data was collect-ed from the clinical record and physical examinations. The evaluations were conducted for 10 minutes at a time and simultaneously, during which the subjects had to remain supine and at rest. The sampling frequency was 1000 Hz, providing a temporal resolution of 1 millisecond for each RR period. Results: Thirty adult subjects were included with an average age of 33.63 ± 8.91 years. When com-paring both HRV assessment methods, only 3 variables showed statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05). As well, the correlations showed 4 strong and 17 near-perfect associations, which were positive and statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001). In addition, intraclass correlation coefficients (be-tween 0.744 and 1) and bias determined using the Bland-Altman method found both methods to be concordant. Conclusions: The Polar® V800 monitor is a valid tool for assessing HRV in critically ill adult sub-jects.