METABOLIC PROFILE AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY AS AN INDICATOR OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYMPATHETIC INFLUENCES IN FEMALE INDIVIDUALS OF TWO AGE GROUPS

• Main Authors: Rene Mileva-Popova, Nina Belova
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Union of Scientists - Stara Zagora 2018-03-01
• Series: Science & Research
• Subjects: heart rate variability; sympathetic; blood cholesterol; blood glucose; cardiovascular diseases.
• Online Access: http://www.sandtr.org/download.php?id=26
• ISSN: 2535-0765; 2535-0765

The positive correlation between metabolic disturbances and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is well known. Elevated sympathetic outflow was shown to be an underlying factor in the pathogenesis of CVD. The aim of our study was to examine the correlation between the sympathetic cardiovascular drive as measured by heart rate variability (HRV) and blood metabolic profile. These measurements were carried out on female individuals of two age groups. Ten female subjects were divided in 2 groups – young (average age 20 years) and adults (average age 60 years). Five minute long electrocardiogram was recorded using the analog-to-digital converter iCardio. The iCardio software provided the major HRV indices. The total power of HRV (TP) was significantly lower in the adult individuals as marker of the elevated cardiovascular sympathetic outflow. Blood tests (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and glucose) were carried out in a licensed laboratory. All blood parameters were higher in the adult group as compared to the young. Negative correlation was evidenced between the TP and total cholesterol (r = -0.76), LDL cholesterol (r = -0.80), glucose level (r = -0.99), while the correlation between TP and HDL was positive (r = 0.76) in the adult group. The young individuals showed significantly less pronounced correlation between the laboratory parameters and HRV. Our data supported the hypothesis that elevated sympathetic drive typical for the postmenopausal women was positively correlated to their metabolic cardiovascular risk markers. The better clarification of these interactions might help in the understanding and prevention of the higher CVD incidence in this female age group. Acknowledgement: These studies were funded by Grant # Д-134/ 2017 of the Scientific Medical Board, MU-Sofia.