Open AccessAssessment of heart rate response to exercise and recovery during treadmill testing in arsenic‐exposed workers
Author(s) -
Karakulak Ugur Nadir,
Gunduzoz Meside,
Ayturk Mehmet,
Tek Ozturk Mujgan,
Tutkun Engin,
Yilmaz Omer Hinc
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
annals of noninvasive electrocardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.494
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1542-474X
pISSN - 1082-720X
DOI - 10.1111/anec.12437
Subject(s) - medicine , chronotropic , heart rate , cardiology , arsenic , treadmill , physical therapy , blood pressure , materials science , metallurgy
Background Arsenic exposure is associated with various cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to assess cardiac autonomic function via heart rate response to exercise and recovery period of treadmill testing in arsenic‐exposed workers. Methods Sixty‐five (65) occupationally arsenic‐exposed workers and 35 healthy controls were enrolled. Blood and urinary arsenic levels were analyzed and symptom limited maximal treadmill exercise test were performed. Chronotropic response to exercise including age‐predicted maximal heart rate ( APMHR ), heart rate reserve ( HR reserve ), age‐predicted HR reserve ( APHR reserve ) and adjusted HR reserve and 1st‐, 2nd‐and 3rd‐min heart rate recovery ( HRR ) indices were calculated. Results Baseline clinical and echocardiographic parameters, exercise test duration, resting and maximal heart rate, peak exercise capacity, HR reserve , APMHR , APHR reserve , and adjusted HR reserve were found to be similar between groups. HRR 1 (22.0 ± 4.3 vs. 24.3 ± 3.1 bpm, p = .003) and HRR 2 (43.2 ± 6.2 vs. 46.7 ± 6.4 bpm, p = .012) were significantly lower in arsenic‐exposed workers compared to controls. Blood and urinary arsenic levels negatively correlated with HRR 1 ( r = −.477, p < .001 and r = −.438, p < .001, respectively) and HRR 2 ( r = −.507, p < .001 and r = −.412, p < .001 respectively). Conclusions Arsenic‐exposed workers had lower HRR indices than normal subjects but chronotropic response were similar. Cardiac autonomic dysregulation may be one of the cardiovascular consequences of arsenic exposure.