Hypocapnia increases heart rate in patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Abstract

Background: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is characterized by chronic orthostatic intolerance and significantly impacts quality of life of patients. POTS predominantly affects women of child-bearing age with an estimated prevalence of up to 1%. POTS is defined by an excessive increase in heart rate (HR) of ≥30 bpm within 10 minutes of upright posture, in the absence of orthostatic hypotension. POTS is associated with chronic symptoms (≥6 months) including hyperventilation (HV) in the form of hyperpnea. HV reduces arterial CO2 (hypocapnia) and worsens tachycardia in POTS. Whether it is hypocapnia that increases HR in these patients is unclear. Studies have not investigated the effects of CO2 on HR due to the confounding effects of posture and ventilation. Objective: We aimed to determine if hypocapnia exacerbates tachycardia in POTS patients. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that hypocapnia will increase HR in POTS. Methods: We conducted a randomized crossover trial of hypocapnic HV vs. eucapnic HV in 13 female POTS patients (34±9 y). Participants completed the supine breathing protocol: 1) HV with resultant hypocapnia, and 2) HV (with end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) clamped at baseline). Breath-by-breath respiratory (ventilation (VE), tidal volume (VT), ETCO2, end-tidal O2 (ETO2)) and beat-to-beat hemodynamics (HR, stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO)) were measured. Data are reported as mean±SD. Paired t-tests were used to compare respiratory and hemodynamic parameters between hypocapnic HV vs. eucapnic HV. Results: During HV, ETCO2 was significantly lower during hypocapnia vs. eucapnia (19.6±3.7 mmHg vs. 37.4±3.5 mmHg; p<0.0001). ETO2 was greater during hypocapnia vs eucapnia (117.4±4.7 mmHg vs. 114.6±3.1 mmHg; p<0.001). There was no difference in VE (22.2±6.5 L/min vs. 22.0±5.1 L/min; p=0.8) or VT (1.4±0.4 L vs. 1.4±0.3 L; p=0.9) between hypocapnia and eucapnia. HR was significantly greater during hypocapnia vs. eucapnia (99±12 bpm vs 82±10 bpm; p<0.001); SV was significantly lower during hypocapnia vs. eucapnia (66±14 mL vs. 74±13 mL; p=0.02); and there was no difference in CO between hypocapnia and eucapnia (6.4±1.3 L/min vs. 6.1±1.6 L/min; p=0.3). Conclusion: Independent of ventilation, hypocapnia increases HR in patients with POTS. Our findings suggests that hypocapnia causes a reduction in SV, perhaps due to increased blood pooling in the capacitance vessels leading to reduced venous return. This work was supported by Standing up to POTS. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.