Heart Rate Variability and Psychometric Analysis in Patients with Hyperactive Heart Fire Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Hyperactive heart fire syndrome is characterized by anxiety, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, tongue ulcers, heat in the hands, and palpitations. However, syndrome differentiation is often subjective due to a lack of objective, quantifiable variables. Objectives: To identify changes in heart rate variability (HRV) and psychometric analysis in patients with hyperactive heart fire syndrome. Methods: Healthy controls (n = 33) were compared to patients with hyperactive heart fire syndrome (n = 48) from the Integrative University Clinic of the State University of Ecatepec Valley (CIU-UNEVE). Physiological outcome measures included heart rate (HR), the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal heartbeat intervals (SDNN), low (LF) and high frequency (HF) power, and the LF/HF ratio. Psychometric outcome measures included the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). Results: Compared to controls, hyperactive heart fire patients had higher HR (9.6 ± 2.62%), LF (22 ± 4.21%) and LF/HF ratio (23 ± 3.14%), and lower SDNN (21 ± 2.33%) and HF (18 ± 4.61%). Patients showed increased anxiety, both with somatic (33 ± 11.2%) and psychic symptoms (39 ± 10.5%) with more difficulty falling asleep (47 ± 9.9%) and diurnal impact of sleep (31 ± 9.6%). Conclusion: Hyperactive heart fire patients may have a sympathovagal imbalance due to a reduced parasympathetic tone and/or adominant sympathetic tone, which may be at the origin of the observed symptoms of insomnia and anxiety.

Chronotropic Response and Heart Rate Variability before and after a 160 m Walking Test in Young, Middle-Aged, Frail, and Non-Frail Older Adults

“…We found larger values of pNN50 and HF (nu) in the frail older adults with respect to the other populations. A higher HF (nu) is often interpreted as an increased parasympathetic modulation which is usually beneficial for health [ 42 ]. A counter example is presented by Kabbach et al [ 43 ], who reported a higher HF in acute exacerbated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), compared to stabilized patients with COPD.…”

“…We observed a higher breathing rate (EDR) in frail older adults than in non-frail older adults. Therefore, we suggest that the higher HF (nu) in frail older adults could be due to an increased breathing rate rather than an increased parasympathetic modulation [ 42 ]. We cannot interpret the dominance or absence of sympathetic modulation based on the LF components as it has been found that LF incorporates information of the two modulations, both sympathetic and parasympathetic [ 44 ], therefore, to understand specifically the alterations of the sympathetic modulation in frail older adults, a different experimental protocol should be carried out.…”