Ten-Second Heart Rate Variability, Its Changes Over Time, and the Development of Hypertension

Abstract

Background: The role of ultrashort-term heart rate variability (HRV) and its temporal changes in incident hypertension are unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between 10-second HRV, its changes, and incident hypertension in adults aged <40 years and older. Methods: This cohort study included 232 587 Koreans (mean age 37.6 years) without hypertension. Hypertension was defined according to the 2017 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association hypertension guidelines. HRV, including the root mean square of successive R-R interval differences and the SD of normal-to-normal R-R intervals, was estimated using standard 12-lead, 10-second electrocardiography. Results: During a median follow-up of 3.8 years, 40 268 hypertension cases were identified (incidence rates: 36.1 and 67.9 per 1000 person-years for young and older participants, respectively). An inverse association was observed between HRV and hypertension risk, in a dose-dependent manner. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CIs) for hypertension comparing the first to the fifth quintiles of root mean square of successive R-R interval difference and SD of normal-to-normal R-R interval were 1.58 (1.52–1.63) and 1.35 (1.30–1.39), respectively. These associations were stronger in young adults than in older adults. In a subsample of 150 301 participants, compared with stable HRV, an increase in HRV over time was also inversely associated with incident hypertension. Conclusions: A higher HRV and its increase over time on a 10-second electrocardiography were associated with a lower risk of hypertension. Our findings indicate that autonomic function, estimated using 10-second standard electrocardiography, plays a role in predicting hypertension, with a stronger effect in young adults.

Does Exercise Training Improve Cardiac-Parasympathetic Nervous System Activity in Sedentary People? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

“…Autonomic dysfunction causes sympathetic hyperactivity and can have harmful effects on the cardiovascular system both directly and indirectly [ 48 , 49 ]. Moreover, improved cardiac PNS activity is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular risk factors over time, such as hypertension and aortic stiffness [ 50 , 51 ]. Thus, practical interventions that improve cardiac PNS activity are of clinical interest.…”

Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as Important Risk Factors for Gestational Metabolic Dysfunction

“…Specifically, no known studies have investigated associations between gestational metabolic disorders and biological markers of chronic stress or trauma (e.g., cortisol, heart rate variability) or physiological measures of PTSD severity (e.g., hyperarousal), despite evidence of a relationship between such biological markers and metabolic disorders in non-pregnant persons (Figure 1). 123,124 Importantly, many of the existing studies failed to consider key confounders in the relationship between trauma or PTSD and gestational metabolic disease in pregnancy. For instance, despite genetic predisposition being one of the biggest risk factors for gestational metabolic disease, 125,126 several of the included studies did not consider family history as a confounding variable.…”

“…1). 124,125 Importantly, many of the existing studies failed to consider key confounders in the relationship between trauma or PTSD and gestational metabolic disease in pregnancy. For instance, despite genetic predisposition being one of the biggest risk factors for gestational metabolic disease, 126,127 several of the included studies did not consider family history as a confounding variable.…”

Brain–heart dynamics during emotional processing under uncertain conditions: An index of depression risk

“…Our analysis of HRV from ultrashort (10-s) ECG recording segments may not be directly comparable to the standard short-term HRV measures obtained from 5-min ECG recordings. However, ultrashort HRV values have been increasingly applied in investigations of cardiovascular diseases (116)(117)(118). Second, our analysis of cardiac reactivity was limited to two time-domain parameters, HR and SDNN.…”