Five minute recordings of heart rate variability for population studies: repeatability and age-sex characteristics

Abstract

Objective-To evaluate the stability of short recordings of heart rate variability (HRV) with time, and the association of HRV with age and sex. Design-Five minute Holter recordings were made twice over a two month interval (tracking study). In addition, HRV was measured in a cross sectional study. Setting-Residents of 11 Israeli kibbutzim were examined in their settlements. Subjects-32 men and 38 women (aged 31-67) participated in the tracking study and 294 (aged 35-65) were involved in the cross sectional study. Main outcome measures-Time and frequency domain analyses on Holter recordings were undertaken in two breathing conditions: spontaneous and controlled breathing (15 respirations per minute). Regression was used to assess the relations of sex, age, heart rate, and logarithmically transformed HRV indices. Results-HRV measures were highly consistent with time with correlations of 0.76-0.80 for high frequency and total power. Geometric mean total power declined with age by 45% in men and 32% in women, and was lower by 24% among women than among men (all p < 0.005). Men had a 34% higher very low and low frequency power and a higher ratio of low to high frequency power (p < 0.001). Conversely, high frequency power in women represents a greater proportion of total power than in men. Conclusion-Short recordings of HRV in a non-laboratory setting are stable over months and therefore characteristic of an individual. Strong age and sex eVects were evident. HRV derived from short recordings can be informative in population based studies. (Heart 1998;80:156-162) Keywords: heart rate variability; parasympathetic activity; reliability; sex diVerences Heart rate variability (HRV) measures can provide non-invasive information on the autonomic nervous system, including its vagal and sympathetic components. [1][2][3][4] Interest in these measures has increased recently in light of predictive associations between reduced HRV and increased mortality after an acute myocardial infarction (MI), 5-8 and between HRV and the incidence of coronary heart disease and mortality in a community based population. 9 10 These associations were independent of the eVect of conventional risk factors. 9 10 Most studies of HRV have used 24 hour Holter recorded electrocardiograms (ECGs). Such measurement is often not feasible for widescale epidemiological studies, and may be unnecessary. In men after an acute MI, HRV measures calculated from 2-15 minute segments were remarkably similar to those calculated over 24 hours, and provided predictive information similar in strength to the entire record. 8 A recently published report of a European and North American task force on measurement of HRV for clinical use indicated sparse availability of information on the reliability of short segment recordings. 11 We undertook two studies in an unselected free living population sample to determine the feasibility and potential usefulness of five minute recordings in men and women aged 35-65 years. Recordings were made under conditions of free and ...

Effects of Increased Physical Activity and Mild Calorie Restriction on Heart Rate Variability in Obese Women.

“…Other reports on short-term recordings of HRV showed widely dispersed mean values in the range of 6.2-10.4, 4.7-10.0 and 4.9-10.0 for lnTP, lnLF and lnHF, respectively. 8,10,24,[28][29][30][31] The mean values in the present study were all within these ranges. Reproducibility of the HRV measurement was not examined in the present study by repeating the recordings within a relatively short interval.…”

Short‐term heart rate variability in healthy adults

“…Larger sex differences in sympathetic parameters, such as the very low and low frequency power, have been previously reported [6], perhaps relating to greater sympathetic activity in men compared to women, in whom muscarinic regulation of HRV may be more important [7], although this hypothesis is not consistent with previous data in young and middle-aged adults [8].…”

“…In contrast, other studies showed a decline in HRV with age [2,6], although those studies were mainly carried out in older subjects, whilst our investigation included healthy young subjects.…”

“…The American Society of Regional Anesthesia's guidance [6] states that evidence suggests that most peripheral nerve blocks are performed using excessive doses of LA, and that when using ultrasound and catheter techniques (as in this study), adequate blocks may be achieved with much smaller doses of properly placed LA.…”

Cardiovascular autonomic control in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support and pharmacologic therapy

“…Standing comprises an orthostatic challenge, the autonomic response to which is typified by a reproducible decreased HF and increased LF contribution to total spectral power [26]. The use of controlled breathing typically increases the vagal contribution to SA node control [27]. CHF patients with sympathetic hyperactivity tend to show blunted decreases in vagal indices (HF, HFnu) and increases in indices (LFnu) of sympathetic activation [26].…”