The efficacy of heart rate variability biofeedback in pathophysiological mechanisms among patients with coronary heart disease

• Main Authors: Hsueh-Chen Lu, 呂學禎
• Other Authors: I-Mei Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/3gqmxh

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 心理學系碩士班 === 103 === Objective: The pathophysiological mechanisms of coronary heart disease (CAD) are cardiac autonomic imbalance or / and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation, causing higher cardiovascular responses and endothelial dysfunction, eventually may lead to atherosclerosis and inflammation course. Previous studies have confirmed heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) can increase heart rate variability and regulate emotion among patients with CAD. However, HRV-BF in reducing the degree of inflammation response and atherosclerosis are still unknown. This study was to examine the efficacy of HRV-BF in pathophysiological mechanisms among patients with CAD (e.g., cardiac autonomic, inflammation response, and arterial stiffness). Methods: A total of 154 stable CAD were assigned randomly to HRV-BF group (6 female / 71 male, mean age was 61.01 ± 8.41 years) and control group (11 female / 66 male, mean age was 60.61 ± 8.03 years), the HRV-BF group received six consecutive weeks of HRV-BF. Both groups received the measurement of cardiac autonomic response (heart rate variability, HRV) , inflammation response (high sensitive C reactive protein, hsCRP) and arterial stiffness at the pre-test and at the post-test. Results: Two-way ANOVA found that there were significant group * time interaction (F (1,67 ) = 5.70, p <.05, ηp2 = .08; F (1,67) = 14.76, p <.001, ηp2 = .18; F (1,67) = 12.90, p <.01, ηp2 =. 16) in HRV indices (SDNN/ LF/ lnLF), the post hoc comparison found that higher HRV indices in the treatment group than that in the control group at post-test. There were slight decreased in inflammatory response (hsCRP) in the treatment group and increased in the control group, however, there was no interaction effect in hsCRP. Regarding the arterial stiffness, simple main effects found that there was significant lower baPWV at post-test than that at pre-test in treatment group (F (1,77) = 7.14, p < 0.05). However, this situation did not found in the control group (F (1,77) = 0.62, p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study supports HRV-BF can improve the cardiac autonomic activation and decrease arterial stiffness among patients with CAD.