A Meta‐Analysis on the Impact of Alcohol Dependence on Short‐Term Resting‐State Heart Rate Variability: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk

Abstract

Alcohol dependence is associated with reduced HRV, an effect associated with a medium effect size. Findings highlight the importance of monitoring alcohol-dependent patients for cardiac disease and emphasize the need for cardiovascular risk reduction strategies in these patients.

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in psychiatric disorders and the impact of psychotropic medications: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Effect sizes observed in the present study were larger than previously observed in other meta-analyses, specifically those examining depressive, 31,210 anxiety 211,212 and substance dependence 32 disorders. This difference is likely owing to the larger number of studies retrieved owing to the rapidly increasing number of publications within this field in the last 5 years, allowing for more precise summary effect size estimates.…”

“…[31][32][33] Influential reviews 29,30 in this area have argued that reductions in HRV provide an important mechanism contributing to increased risk for sudden cardiac death in patients with these disorders. 24,26,34 Other studies have highlighted the potential adverse influence of psychotropic medications, which are prescribed to treat symptoms in patients with these disorders, in reducing HRV.…”

Heart rate variability in major depressive disorder and after antidepressant treatment with agomelatine and paroxetine: Findings from the Taiwan Study of Depression and Anxiety (TAISDA)

“…First, since anxiety (Friedman and Thayer, 1998) and substance use disorders (Chen et al, 2015;Henry et al, 2012) are comorbidities often found in patients with MDD and can profoundly influence HRV measures (Chalmers et al, 2014;Quintana et al, 2013), both patients and controls were evaluated with a structured diagnostic interview to rule out any psychiatric co-morbidities and psychiatric disorders, respectively. Second, all participants underwent relevant laboratory investigations in addition to their physical health self-report.…”

A blunted sympathetic and accentuated parasympathetic response to postural change in subjects with depressive disorders

“…They consumed no illicit, prescription or OTC (over-the-counter) drugs as confirmed by physical and mental examination and biological analysis. Subjects were also excluded if they had the habits of cigarette smoking or alcohol consumption, that have a documented effect on the autonomic nervous system (Carnethon et al, 2002a(Carnethon et al, , 2002bShinozaki, et al 2008;Quintana, et al, 2013). If subjects suffered from hypertension (presence of systolic blood pressure Z140 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure Z90 mmHg), diabetes (fasting glucose Z126 mg/dL), cardiovascular disease, severe cardiac arrhythmia, a frequent ectopic heartbeat, or an acute medical illness within 3 months of the start of the study, they were then excluded from the study.…”