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Comparing low frequency heart rate variability and preejection period: Two sides of a different coin
Author(s) -
Goedhart Annebet D.,
Willemsen G.,
Houtveen Jan H.,
Boomsma Dorret I.,
De Geus Eco J. C.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2008.00710.x
Subject(s) - ambulatory , heart rate variability , heart rate , cardiology , psychology , medicine , blood pressure
It has been hypothesized that the ratio of heart rate variability in the low‐ (LF) and high‐ (HF) frequency bands may capture variation in cardiac sympathetic control. Here we tested the temporal stability of the LF/HF ratio in 24‐h ambulatory recordings and compared this ratio to the preejection period (PEP), an established measure of cardiac sympathetic control. Good temporal stability was found across a period of 3.3 years (.46< r <.78), but the LF/HF ratio did not show the expected negative correlation to PEP, either between or within subjects. We conclude that the evidence to support the LF/HF ratio as a potential marker of cardiac sympathetic control in epidemiology‐scaled research is currently insufficient.