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Heart Rate Fluctuations in Diabetic Patients with Cardiac Vagal Dysfunction: A Spectral Analysis
Author(s) -
Weise F.,
Heydenreich F.,
Runge U.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-5491.1988.tb00998.x
Subject(s) - medicine , heart rate variability , heart rate , vagal tone , cardiology , autonomic nervous system , diabetes mellitus , respiratory system , orthostatic vital signs , respiratory rate , electrocardiography , cardiac function curve , endocrinology , blood pressure , heart failure
The autonomic nervous control of cardiac function during active orthostatic load has been studied by measuring the power spectrum of heart rate fluctuations in 16 insulin‐dependent diabetic patients and 14 age‐matched control subjects. The patients were subdivided into two groups: 8 with normal respiratory sinus dysrhythmia (RSA+) and 8 with reduced respiratory sinus dysrhythmia (RSA‐). In RSA‐ patients the total power (0.01–0.50 Hz) was significantly reduced compared with control subjects (4.7 versus 15.5 min −2 , 2 p <0.05) and the pattern of heart rate fluctuatons was characterized by a relative increase in the low‐frequency component (0.01–0.05 Hz) as compared with RSA+ patients and control subjects (45% versus 24% and 27%, both 2 p <0.01). There was also a significant reduction in the high‐frequency component (0.15–0.50 Hz) as compared with RSA+ patients and control subjects (17% versus 36% and 33%, both 2 p <0.05). During standing, a significant increase in total power was found only in control subjects (2 p <0.01) and the difference between control subjects, and RSA+ and RSA‐ patients reached significance (32.2 versus 15.1 and 12.7 min −2 , 2 p <0.02 and 2 p <0.01). The pattern of heart rate fluctuations in RSA‐ patients showed no significant change on standing. These results suggest that the reduced overall heart rate variability in diabetic patients with cardiac autonomic neuropathy is associated with a typical heart rate fluctuation pattern.