Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia (Jun 2015)

Heart Rate Variability Correlates to Functional Aerobic Impairment in Hemodialysis Patients

  • Maria Angela Magalhães de Queiroz Carreira,
  • André Barros Nogueira,
  • Felipe Montes Pena,
  • Marcio Galindo Kiuchi,
  • Ronaldo Campos Rodrigues,
  • Rodrigo da Rocha Rodrigues,
  • Jorge Paulo Strogoff de Matos,
  • Jocemir Ronaldo Lugon

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5935/abc.20150039
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 104, no. 6
pp. 493 – 500

Abstract

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Background: Autonomic dysfunction (AD) is highly prevalent in hemodialysis (HD) patients and has been implicated in their increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Objective: To correlate heart rate variability (HRV) during exercise treadmill test (ETT) with the values obtained when measuring functional aerobic impairment (FAI) in HD patients and controls. Methods: Cross-sectional study involving HD patients and a control group. Clinical examination, blood sampling, transthoracic echocardiogram, 24-hour Holter, and ETT were performed. A symptom-limited ramp treadmill protocol with active recovery was employed. Heart rate variability was evaluated in time domain at exercise and recovery periods. Results: Forty-one HD patients and 41 controls concluded the study. HD patients had higher FAI and lower HRV than controls (p<0.001 for both). A correlation was found between exercise HRV (SDNN) and FAI in both groups. This association was independent of age, sex, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, and clonidine or beta-blocker use, but not of hemoglobin levels. Conclusion: No association was found between FAI and HRV on 24-hour Holter or at the recovery period of ETT. Of note, exercise HRV was inversely correlated with FAI in HD patients and controls. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2015; [online]. ahead print, PP.0-0)

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