Sample records for heart rate complexity

  1. Reliable Real-time Calculation of Heart-rate Complexity in Critically Ill Patients Using Multiple Noisy Waveform Sources

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    systems Machine learning Automatic data processing 1 Introduction Heart-rate complexity (HRC) is a method of quantifying the amount of complex...5. Batchinsky AI, Skinner J, Necsoiu C, et al. New measures of heart-rate complexity: effect of chest trauma and hemorrhage. J Trauma. 2010;68:1178–85

  2. Gender- and age-related differences in heart rate dynamics: are women more complex than men?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ryan, S. M.; Goldberger, A. L.; Pincus, S. M.; Mietus, J.; Lipsitz, L. A.

    1994-01-01

    OBJECTIVES. This study aimed to quantify the complex dynamics of beat-to-beat sinus rhythm heart rate fluctuations and to determine their differences as a function of gender and age. BACKGROUND. Recently, measures of heart rate variability and the nonlinear "complexity" of heart rate dynamics have been used as indicators of cardiovascular health. Because women have lower cardiovascular risk and greater longevity than men, we postulated that there are important gender-related differences in beat-to-beat heart rate dynamics. METHODS. We analyzed heart rate dynamics during 8-min segments of continuous electrocardiographic recording in healthy young (20 to 39 years old), middle-aged (40 to 64 years old) and elderly (65 to 90 years old) men (n = 40) and women (n = 27) while they performed spontaneous and metronomic (15 breaths/min) breathing. Relatively high (0.15 to 0.40 Hz) and low (0.01 to 0.15 Hz) frequency components of heart rate variability were computed using spectral analysis. The overall "complexity" of each heart rate time series was quantified by its approximate entropy, a measure of regularity derived from nonlinear dynamics ("chaos" theory). RESULTS. Mean heart rate did not differ between the age groups or genders. High frequency heart rate power and the high/low frequency power ratio decreased with age in both men and women (p < 0.05). The high/low frequency power ratio during spontaneous and metronomic breathing was greater in women than men (p < 0.05). Heart rate approximate entropy decreased with age and was higher in women than men (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. High frequency heart rate spectral power (associated with parasympathetic activity) and the overall complexity of heart rate dynamics are higher in women than men. These complementary findings indicate the need to account for gender-as well as age-related differences in heart rate dynamics. Whether these gender differences are related to lower cardiovascular disease risk and greater longevity in women requires further study.

  3. Respiration and heart rate complexity: Effects of age and gender assessed by band-limited transfer entropy

    PubMed Central

    Nemati, Shamim; Edwards, Bradley A.; Lee, Joon; Pittman-Polletta, Benjamin; Butler, James P.; Malhotra, Atul

    2013-01-01

    Aging and disease are accompanied with a reduction of complex variability in the temporal patterns of heart rate. This reduction has been attributed to a break down of the underlying regulatory feedback mechanisms that maintain a homeodynamic state. Previous work has established the utility of entropy as an index of disorder, for quantification of changes in heart rate complexity. However, questions remain regarding the origin of heart rate complexity and the mechanisms involved in its reduction with aging and disease. In this work we use a newly developed technique based on the concept of band-limited transfer entropy to assess the aging-related changes in contribution of respiration and blood pressure to entropy of heart rate at different frequency bands. Noninvasive measurements of heart beat interval, respiration, and systolic blood pressure were recorded from 20 young (21–34 years) and 20 older (68–85 years) healthy adults. Band-limited transfer entropy analysis revealed a reduction in high-frequency contribution of respiration to heart rate complexity (p < 0.001) with normal aging, particularly in men. These results have the potential for dissecting the relative contributions of respiration and blood pressure-related reflexes to heart rate complexity and their degeneration with normal aging. PMID:23811194

  4. Effects of head-down bed rest on complex heart rate variability: Response to LBNP testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldberger, Ary L.; Mietus, Joseph E.; Rigney, David R.; Wood, Margie L.; Fortney, Suzanne M.

    1994-01-01

    Head-down bed rest is used to model physiological changes during spaceflight. We postulated that bed rest would decrease the degree of complex physiological heart rate variability. We analyzed continuous heart rate data from digitized Holter recordings in eight healthy female volunteers (age 28-34 yr) who underwent a 13-day 6 deg head-down bed rest study with serial lower body negative pressure (LBNP) trials. Heart rate variability was measured on a 4-min data sets using conventional time and frequency domain measures as well as with a new measure of signal 'complexity' (approximate entropy). Data were obtained pre-bed rest (control), during bed rest (day 4 and day 9 or 11), and 2 days post-bed rest (recovery). Tolerance to LBNP was significantly reduced on both bed rest days vs. pre-bed rest. Heart rate variability was assessed at peak LBNP. Heart rate approximate entropy was significantly decreased at day 4 and day 9 or 11, returning toward normal during recovery. Heart rate standard deviation and the ratio of high- to low-power frequency did not change significantly. We conclude that short-term bed rest is associated with a decrease in the complex variability of heart rate during LBNP testing in healthy young adult women. Measurement of heart rate complexity, using a method derived from nonlinear dynamics ('chaos theory'), may provide a sensitive marker of this loss of physiological variability, complementing conventional time and frequency domain statistical measures.

  5. Fractal Based Analysis of the Influence of Odorants on Heart Activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Namazi, Hamidreza; Kulish, Vladimir V.

    2016-12-01

    An important challenge in heart research is to make the relation between the features of external stimuli and heart activity. Olfactory stimulation is an important type of stimulation that affects the heart activity, which is mapped on Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. Yet, no one has discovered any relation between the structures of olfactory stimuli and the ECG signal. This study investigates the relation between the structures of heart rate and the olfactory stimulus (odorant). We show that the complexity of the heart rate is coupled with the molecular complexity of the odorant, where more structurally complex odorant causes less fractal heart rate. Also, odorant having higher entropy causes the heart rate having lower approximate entropy. The method discussed here can be applied and investigated in case of patients with heart diseases as the rehabilitation purpose.

  6. Initial fractal exponent of heart-rate variability is associated with success of early resuscitation in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock: a prospective cohort study

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Samuel M.; Tate, Quinn; Jones, Jason P.; Knox, Daniel; Kuttler, Kathryn G.; Lanspa, Michael; Rondina, Matthew T.; Grissom, Colin K.; Behera, Subhasis; Mathews, V.J.; Morris, Alan

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Heart-rate variability reflects autonomic nervous system tone as well as the overall health of the baroreflex system. We hypothesized that loss of complexity in heart-rate variability upon ICU admission would be associated with unsuccessful early resuscitation of sepsis. Methods We prospectively enrolled patients admitted to ICUs with severe sepsis or septic shock from 2009 to 2011. We studied 30 minutes of EKG, sampled at 500 Hz, at ICU admission and calculated heart-rate complexity via detrended fluctuation analysis. Primary outcome was vasopressor independence at 24 hours after ICU admission. Secondary outcome was 28-day mortality. Results We studied 48 patients, of whom 60% were vasopressor independent at 24 hours. Five (10%) died within 28 days. The ratio of fractal alpha parameters was associated with both vasopressor independence and 28-day mortality (p=0.04) after controlling for mean heart rate. In the optimal model, SOFA score and the long-term fractal alpha parameter were associated with vasopressor independence. Conclusions Loss of complexity in heart rate variability is associated with worse outcome early in severe sepsis and septic shock. Further work should evaluate whether complexity of heart rate variability (HRV) could guide treatment in sepsis. PMID:23958243

  7. The effect of orthostatic stress on multiscale entropy of heart rate and blood pressure.

    PubMed

    Turianikova, Zuzana; Javorka, Kamil; Baumert, Mathias; Calkovska, Andrea; Javorka, Michal

    2011-09-01

    Cardiovascular control acts over multiple time scales, which introduces a significant amount of complexity to heart rate and blood pressure time series. Multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis has been developed to quantify the complexity of a time series over multiple time scales. In previous studies, MSE analyses identified impaired cardiovascular control and increased cardiovascular risk in various pathological conditions. Despite the increasing acceptance of the MSE technique in clinical research, information underpinning the involvement of the autonomic nervous system in the MSE of heart rate and blood pressure is lacking. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of orthostatic challenge on the MSE of heart rate and blood pressure variability (HRV, BPV) and the correlation between MSE (complexity measures) and traditional linear (time and frequency domain) measures. MSE analysis of HRV and BPV was performed in 28 healthy young subjects on 1000 consecutive heart beats in the supine and standing positions. Sample entropy values were assessed on scales of 1-10. We found that MSE of heart rate and blood pressure signals is sensitive to changes in autonomic balance caused by postural change from the supine to the standing position. The effect of orthostatic challenge on heart rate and blood pressure complexity depended on the time scale under investigation. Entropy values did not correlate with the mean values of heart rate and blood pressure and showed only weak correlations with linear HRV and BPV measures. In conclusion, the MSE analysis of heart rate and blood pressure provides a sensitive tool to detect changes in autonomic balance as induced by postural change.

  8. QRS peak detection for heart rate monitoring on Android smartphone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pambudi Utomo, Trio; Nuryani, Nuryani; Darmanto

    2017-11-01

    In this study, Android smartphone is used for heart rate monitoring and displaying electrocardiogram (ECG) graph. Heart rate determination is based on QRS peak detection. Two methods are studied to detect the QRS complex peak; they are Peak Threshold and Peak Filter. The acquisition of ECG data is utilized by AD8232 module from Analog Devices, three electrodes, and Microcontroller Arduino UNO R3. To record the ECG data from a patient, three electrodes are attached to particular body’s surface of a patient. Patient’s heart activity which is recorded by AD8232 module is decoded by Arduino UNO R3 into analog data. Then, the analog data is converted into a voltage value (mV) and is processed to get the QRS complex peak. Heart rate value is calculated by Microcontroller Arduino UNO R3 uses the QRS complex peak. Voltage, heart rate, and the QRS complex peak are sent to Android smartphone by Bluetooth HC-05. ECG data is displayed as the graph by Android smartphone. To evaluate the performance of QRS complex peak detection method, three parameters are used; they are positive predictive, accuracy and sensitivity. Positive predictive, accuracy, and sensitivity of Peak Threshold method is 92.39%, 70.30%, 74.62% and for Peak Filter method are 98.38%, 82.47%, 83.61%, respectively.

  9. Diminished heart rate complexity in adolescent girls: a sign of vulnerability to anxiety disorders?

    PubMed

    Fiol-Veny, Aina; De la Torre-Luque, Alejandro; Balle, Maria; Bornas, Xavier

    2018-07-01

    Diminished heart rate variability has been found to be associated with high anxiety symptomatology. Since adolescence is the period of onset for many anxiety disorders, this study aimed to determine sex- and anxiety-related differences in heart rate variability and complexity in adolescents. We created four groups according to sex and anxiety symptomatology: high-anxiety girls (n = 24) and boys (n = 25), and low-anxiety girls (n = 22) and boys (n = 24) and recorded their cardiac function while they performed regular school activities. A series of two-way (sex and anxiety) MANOVAs were performed on time domain variability, frequency domain variability, and non-linear complexity. We obtained no multivariate interaction effects between sex and anxiety, but highly anxious participants had lower heart rate variability than the low-anxiety group. Regarding sex, girls showed lower heart rate variability and complexity than boys. The results suggest that adolescent girls have a less flexible cardiac system that could be a marker of the girls' vulnerability to developing anxiety disorders.

  10. Heart Rate Complexity in Response to Upright Tilt in Persons with Down Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agiovlasitis, Stamatis; Baynard, Tracy; Pitetti, Kenneth H.; Fernhall, Bo

    2011-01-01

    People with Down syndrome (DS) show altered autonomic response to sympatho-excitation. Cardiac autonomic modulation may be examined with heart rate (HR) complexity which is associated uniquely with cardiovascular risk. This study examined whether the response of HR complexity to passive upright tilt differs between persons with and without DS and…

  11. Heart rate measurement based on face video sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Fang; Zhou, Qin-Wu; Wu, Peng; Chen, Xing; Yang, Xiaofeng; Yan, Hong-jian

    2015-03-01

    This paper proposes a new non-contact heart rate measurement method based on photoplethysmography (PPG) theory. With this method we can measure heart rate remotely with a camera and ambient light. We collected video sequences of subjects, and detected remote PPG signals through video sequences. Remote PPG signals were analyzed with two methods, Blind Source Separation Technology (BSST) and Cross Spectral Power Technology (CSPT). BSST is a commonly used method, and CSPT is used for the first time in the study of remote PPG signals in this paper. Both of the methods can acquire heart rate, but compared with BSST, CSPT has clearer physical meaning, and the computational complexity of CSPT is lower than that of BSST. Our work shows that heart rates detected by CSPT method have good consistency with the heart rates measured by a finger clip oximeter. With good accuracy and low computational complexity, the CSPT method has a good prospect for the application in the field of home medical devices and mobile health devices.

  12. Reversible heart rhythm complexity impairment in patients with primary aldosteronism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Yen-Hung; Wu, Vin-Cent; Lo, Men-Tzung; Wu, Xue-Ming; Hung, Chi-Sheng; Wu, Kwan-Dun; Lin, Chen; Ho, Yi-Lwun; Stowasser, Michael; Peng, Chung-Kang

    2015-08-01

    Excess aldosterone secretion in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) impairs their cardiovascular system. Heart rhythm complexity analysis, derived from heart rate variability (HRV), is a powerful tool to quantify the complex regulatory dynamics of human physiology. We prospectively analyzed 20 patients with aldosterone producing adenoma (APA) that underwent adrenalectomy and 25 patients with essential hypertension (EH). The heart rate data were analyzed by conventional HRV and heart rhythm complexity analysis including detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and multiscale entropy (MSE). We found APA patients had significantly decreased DFAα2 on DFA analysis and decreased area 1-5, area 6-15, and area 6-20 on MSE analysis (all p < 0.05). Area 1-5, area 6-15, area 6-20 in the MSE study correlated significantly with log-transformed renin activity and log-transformed aldosterone-renin ratio (all p < = 0.01). The conventional HRV parameters were comparable between PA and EH patients. After adrenalectomy, all the altered DFA and MSE parameters improved significantly (all p < 0.05). The conventional HRV parameters did not change. Our result suggested that heart rhythm complexity is impaired in APA patients and this is at least partially reversed by adrenalectomy.

  13. Fractal mechanisms in the electrophysiology of the heart

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldberger, A. L.

    1992-01-01

    The mathematical concept of fractals provides insights into complex anatomic branching structures that lack a characteristic (single) length scale, and certain complex physiologic processes, such as heart rate regulation, that lack a single time scale. Heart rate control is perturbed by alterations in neuro-autonomic function in a number of important clinical syndromes, including sudden cardiac death, congestive failure, cocaine intoxication, fetal distress, space sickness and physiologic aging. These conditions are associated with a loss of the normal fractal complexity of interbeat interval dynamics. Such changes, which may not be detectable using conventional statistics, can be quantified using new methods derived from "chaos theory.".

  14. Using complexity metrics with R-R intervals and BPM heart rate measures.

    PubMed

    Wallot, Sebastian; Fusaroli, Riccardo; Tylén, Kristian; Jegindø, Else-Marie

    2013-01-01

    Lately, growing attention in the health sciences has been paid to the dynamics of heart rate as indicator of impending failures and for prognoses. Likewise, in social and cognitive sciences, heart rate is increasingly employed as a measure of arousal, emotional engagement and as a marker of interpersonal coordination. However, there is no consensus about which measurements and analytical tools are most appropriate in mapping the temporal dynamics of heart rate and quite different metrics are reported in the literature. As complexity metrics of heart rate variability depend critically on variability of the data, different choices regarding the kind of measures can have a substantial impact on the results. In this article we compare linear and non-linear statistics on two prominent types of heart beat data, beat-to-beat intervals (R-R interval) and beats-per-min (BPM). As a proof-of-concept, we employ a simple rest-exercise-rest task and show that non-linear statistics-fractal (DFA) and recurrence (RQA) analyses-reveal information about heart beat activity above and beyond the simple level of heart rate. Non-linear statistics unveil sustained post-exercise effects on heart rate dynamics, but their power to do so critically depends on the type data that is employed: While R-R intervals are very susceptible to non-linear analyses, the success of non-linear methods for BPM data critically depends on their construction. Generally, "oversampled" BPM time-series can be recommended as they retain most of the information about non-linear aspects of heart beat dynamics.

  15. Using complexity metrics with R-R intervals and BPM heart rate measures

    PubMed Central

    Wallot, Sebastian; Fusaroli, Riccardo; Tylén, Kristian; Jegindø, Else-Marie

    2013-01-01

    Lately, growing attention in the health sciences has been paid to the dynamics of heart rate as indicator of impending failures and for prognoses. Likewise, in social and cognitive sciences, heart rate is increasingly employed as a measure of arousal, emotional engagement and as a marker of interpersonal coordination. However, there is no consensus about which measurements and analytical tools are most appropriate in mapping the temporal dynamics of heart rate and quite different metrics are reported in the literature. As complexity metrics of heart rate variability depend critically on variability of the data, different choices regarding the kind of measures can have a substantial impact on the results. In this article we compare linear and non-linear statistics on two prominent types of heart beat data, beat-to-beat intervals (R-R interval) and beats-per-min (BPM). As a proof-of-concept, we employ a simple rest-exercise-rest task and show that non-linear statistics—fractal (DFA) and recurrence (RQA) analyses—reveal information about heart beat activity above and beyond the simple level of heart rate. Non-linear statistics unveil sustained post-exercise effects on heart rate dynamics, but their power to do so critically depends on the type data that is employed: While R-R intervals are very susceptible to non-linear analyses, the success of non-linear methods for BPM data critically depends on their construction. Generally, “oversampled” BPM time-series can be recommended as they retain most of the information about non-linear aspects of heart beat dynamics. PMID:23964244

  16. Complexity of heart rate fluctuations in near-term sheep and human fetuses during sleep.

    PubMed

    Frank, Birgit; Frasch, Martin G; Schneider, Uwe; Roedel, Marcus; Schwab, Matthias; Hoyer, Dirk

    2006-10-01

    We investigated how the complexity of fetal heart rate fluctuations (fHRF) is related to the sleep states in sheep and human fetuses. The complexity as a function of time scale for fetal heart rate data for 7 sheep and 27 human fetuses was estimated in rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep by means of permutation entropy and the associated Kullback-Leibler entropy. We found that in humans, fHRF complexity is higher in non-REM than REM sleep, whereas in sheep this relationship is reversed. To show this relation, choice of the appropriate time scale is crucial. In sheep fetuses, we found differences in the complexity of fHRF between REM and non-REM sleep only for larger time scales (above 2.5 s), whereas in human fetuses the complexity was clearly different between REM and non-REM sleep over the whole range of time scales. This may be due to inherent time scales of complexity, which reflect species-specific functions of the autonomic nervous system. Such differences have to be considered when animal data are translated to the human situation.

  17. Quantifying the Physiological Stress Response to Simulated Maritime Pilotage Tasks: The Influence of Task Complexity and Pilot Experience.

    PubMed

    Main, Luana C; Wolkow, Alexander; Chambers, Timothy P

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this study was to quantify the stress associated with performing maritime pilotage tasks in a high-fidelity simulator. Eight trainee and 13 maritime pilots completed two simulated pilotage tasks of varying complexity. Salivary cortisol samples were collected pre- and post-simulation for both trials. Heart rate was measured continuously throughout the study. Significant changes in salivary cortisol (P = 0.000, η = 0.139), average (P = 0.006, η = 0.087), and peak heart rate (P = 0.013, η = 0.077) from pre- to postsimulation were found. Varying task complexity did partially influence stress response; average (P = 0.016, η = 0.026) and peak heart rate (P = 0.034, η = 0.020) were higher in the experimental condition. Trainees also recorded higher average (P = 0.000, η = 0.054) and peak heart rates (P = 0.027, η = 0.022). Performing simulated pilotage tasks evoked a measurable stress response in both trainee and expert maritime pilots.

  18. Quantification of fetal heart rate regularity using symbolic dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Leeuwen, P.; Cysarz, D.; Lange, S.; Geue, D.; Groenemeyer, D.

    2007-03-01

    Fetal heart rate complexity was examined on the basis of RR interval time series obtained in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. In each fetal RR interval time series, short term beat-to-beat heart rate changes were coded in 8bit binary sequences. Redundancies of the 28 different binary patterns were reduced by two different procedures. The complexity of these sequences was quantified using the approximate entropy (ApEn), resulting in discrete ApEn values which were used for classifying the sequences into 17 pattern sets. Also, the sequences were grouped into 20 pattern classes with respect to identity after rotation or inversion of the binary value. There was a specific, nonuniform distribution of the sequences in the pattern sets and this differed from the distribution found in surrogate data. In the course of gestation, the number of sequences increased in seven pattern sets, decreased in four and remained unchanged in six. Sequences that occurred less often over time, both regular and irregular, were characterized by patterns reflecting frequent beat-to-beat reversals in heart rate. They were also predominant in the surrogate data, suggesting that these patterns are associated with stochastic heart beat trains. Sequences that occurred more frequently over time were relatively rare in the surrogate data. Some of these sequences had a high degree of regularity and corresponded to prolonged heart rate accelerations or decelerations which may be associated with directed fetal activity or movement or baroreflex activity. Application of the pattern classes revealed that those sequences with a high degree of irregularity correspond to heart rate patterns resulting from complex physiological activity such as fetal breathing movements. The results suggest that the development of the autonomic nervous system and the emergence of fetal behavioral states lead to increases in not only irregular but also regular heart rate patterns. Using symbolic dynamics to examine the cardiovascular system may thus lead to new insight with respect to fetal development.

  19. Aging reduces complexity of heart rate variability assessed by conditional entropy and symbolic analysis.

    PubMed

    Takahashi, Anielle C M; Porta, Alberto; Melo, Ruth C; Quitério, Robison J; da Silva, Ester; Borghi-Silva, Audrey; Tobaldini, Eleonora; Montano, Nicola; Catai, Aparecida M

    2012-06-01

    Increasing age is associated with a reduction in overall heart rate variability as well as changes in complexity of physiologic dynamics. The aim of this study was to verify if the alterations in autonomic modulation of heart rate caused by the aging process could be detected by Shannon entropy (SE), conditional entropy (CE) and symbolic analysis (SA). Complexity analysis was carried out in 44 healthy subjects divided into two groups: old (n = 23, 63 ± 3 years) and young group (n = 21, 23 ± 2). It was analyzed SE, CE [complexity index (CI) and normalized CI (NCI)] and SA (0V, 1V, 2LV and 2ULV patterns) during short heart period series (200 cardiac beats) derived from ECG recordings during 15 min of rest in a supine position. The sequences characterized by three heart periods with no significant variations (0V), and that with two significant unlike variations (2ULV) reflect changes in sympathetic and vagal modulation, respectively. The unpaired t test (or Mann-Whitney rank sum test when appropriate) was used in the statistical analysis. In the aging process, the distributions of patterns (SE) remain similar to young subjects. However, the regularity is significantly different; the patterns are more repetitive in the old group (a decrease of CI and NCI). The amounts of pattern types are different: 0V is increased and 2LV and 2ULV are reduced in the old group. These differences indicate marked change of autonomic regulation. The CE and SA are feasible techniques to detect alteration in autonomic control of heart rate in the old group.

  20. Development of multiscale complexity and multifractality of fetal heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Gierałtowski, Jan; Hoyer, Dirk; Tetschke, Florian; Nowack, Samuel; Schneider, Uwe; Zebrowski, Jan

    2013-11-01

    During fetal development a complex system grows and coordination over multiple time scales is formed towards an integrated behavior of the organism. Since essential cardiovascular and associated coordination is mediated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the ANS activity is reflected in recordable heart rate patterns, multiscale heart rate analysis is a tool predestined for the diagnosis of prenatal maturation. The analyses over multiple time scales requires sufficiently long data sets while the recordings of fetal heart rate as well as the behavioral states studied are themselves short. Care must be taken that the analysis methods used are appropriate for short data lengths. We investigated multiscale entropy and multifractal scaling exponents from 30 minute recordings of 27 normal fetuses, aged between 23 and 38 weeks of gestational age (WGA) during the quiet state. In multiscale entropy, we found complexity lower than that of non-correlated white noise over all 20 coarse graining time scales investigated. Significant maturation age related complexity increase was strongest expressed at scale 2, both using sample entropy and generalized mutual information as complexity estimates. Multiscale multifractal analysis (MMA) in which the Hurst surface h(q,s) is calculated, where q is the multifractal parameter and s is the scale, was applied to the fetal heart rate data. MMA is a method derived from detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). We modified the base algorithm of MMA to be applicable for short time series analysis using overlapping data windows and a reduction of the scale range. We looked for such q and s for which the Hurst exponent h(q,s) is most correlated with gestational age. We used this value of the Hurst exponent to predict the gestational age based only on fetal heart rate variability properties. Comparison with the true age of the fetus gave satisfying results (error 2.17±3.29 weeks; p<0.001; R(2)=0.52). In addition, we found that the normally used DFA scale range is non-optimal for fetal age evaluation. We conclude that 30 min recordings are appropriate and sufficient for assessing fetal age by multiscale entropy and multiscale multifractal analysis. The predominant prognostic role of scale 2 heart beats for MSE and scale 39 heart beats (at q=-0.7) for MMA cannot be explored neither by single scale complexity measures nor by standard detrended fluctuation analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Direct reading of electrocardiograms and respiration rates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wise, J. P.

    1969-01-01

    Technique for reading heart and respiration rates is more accurate and direct than the previous method. Index of a plastic calibrated card is aligned with a point on the electrocardiogram. Complexes are counted as indicated on the card and heart or respiration rate is read directly from the appropriate scale.

  2. Multiscale entropy-based methods for heart rate variability complexity analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, Luiz Eduardo Virgilio; Cabella, Brenno Caetano Troca; Neves, Ubiraci Pereira da Costa; Murta Junior, Luiz Otavio

    2015-03-01

    Physiologic complexity is an important concept to characterize time series from biological systems, which associated to multiscale analysis can contribute to comprehension of many complex phenomena. Although multiscale entropy has been applied to physiological time series, it measures irregularity as function of scale. In this study we purpose and evaluate a set of three complexity metrics as function of time scales. Complexity metrics are derived from nonadditive entropy supported by generation of surrogate data, i.e. SDiffqmax, qmax and qzero. In order to access accuracy of proposed complexity metrics, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were built and area under the curves was computed for three physiological situations. Heart rate variability (HRV) time series in normal sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, and congestive heart failure data set were analyzed. Results show that proposed metric for complexity is accurate and robust when compared to classic entropic irregularity metrics. Furthermore, SDiffqmax is the most accurate for lower scales, whereas qmax and qzero are the most accurate when higher time scales are considered. Multiscale complexity analysis described here showed potential to assess complex physiological time series and deserves further investigation in wide context.

  3. Phase Transition in a Healthy Human Heart Rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiyono, Ken; Struzik, Zbigniew R.; Aoyagi, Naoko; Togo, Fumiharu; Yamamoto, Yoshiharu

    2005-07-01

    A healthy human heart rate displays complex fluctuations which share characteristics of physical systems in a critical state. We demonstrate that the human heart rate in healthy individuals undergoes a dramatic breakdown of criticality characteristics, reminiscent of continuous second order phase transitions. By studying the germane determinants, we show that the hallmark of criticality—highly correlated fluctuations—is observed only during usual daily activity, and a breakdown of these characteristics occurs in prolonged, strenuous exercise and sleep. This finding is the first reported discovery of the dynamical phase transition phenomenon in a biological control system and will be a key to understanding the heart rate control system in health and disease.

  4. Developing a Measurement for Task Complexity in Flight.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Yiyuan; Lu, Yanyu; Wang, Zhen; Huang, Dan; Fu, Shan

    2015-08-01

    Task complexity is regarded as an essential metric that is related to a pilot's performance and workload. Normally, pilots follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) during a flight. In this study, we developed a measurement named Task Complexity in Flight (TCIF) to represent the task complexity in the SOPs. The TCIF measurement combined four complexity components into one index: actions logic complexity (ALC), actions size complexity (ASC), information control exchange complexity (ICEC), and control mode complexity (CMC).To verify the measurement, we calculated 11 tasks during the takeoff and landing phases from the SOPs, and invited 10 pilots to perform the same tasks in a flight simulator. After flight, the TCIF results were compared with two workload measurements: the Bedford scale and heart rate. The results of TCIF and the 4 components of the 11 tasks were calculated. Further, the TCIF results showed a significant correlation with the Bedford scores (R=0.851) and were also consistent with the difference in heart rate (R=0.816). Therefore, with the increased TCIF results, both the Bedford scale and the difference in heart rate increased. TCIF was proposed based on the flight operating conditions. Although additional studies of TCIF are necessary, the results of this study suggest this measurement could effectively indicate task complexity in flight, and could also be used to guide pilot training and task allocation on the flight deck.

  5. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production and respiratory complex activity in rats with pressure overload-induced heart failure

    PubMed Central

    Schwarzer, Michael; Osterholt, Moritz; Lunkenbein, Anne; Schrepper, Andrea; Amorim, Paulo; Doenst, Torsten

    2014-01-01

    We investigated the impact of cardiac reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the development of pressure overload-induced heart failure. We used our previously described rat model where transverse aortic constriction (TAC) induces compensated hypertrophy after 2 weeks, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction at 6 and 10 weeks, and heart failure with systolic dysfunction after 20 weeks. We measured mitochondrial ROS production rates, ROS damage and assessed the therapeutic potential of in vivo antioxidant therapies. In compensated hypertrophy (2 weeks of TAC) ROS production rates were normal at both mitochondrial ROS production sites (complexes I and III). Complex I ROS production rates increased with the appearance of diastolic dysfunction (6 weeks of TAC) and remained high thereafter. Surprisingly, maximal ROS production at complex III peaked at 6 weeks of pressure overload. Mitochondrial respiratory capacity (state 3 respiration) was elevated 2 and 6 weeks after TAC, decreased after this point and was significantly impaired at 20 weeks, when contractile function was also impaired and ROS damage was found with increased hydroxynonenal. Treatment with the ROS scavenger α-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone or the uncoupling agent dinitrophenol significantly reduced ROS production rates at 6 weeks. Despite the decline in ROS production capacity, no differences in contractile function between treated and untreated animals were observed. Increased ROS production occurs early in the development of heart failure with a peak at the onset of diastolic dysfunction. However, ROS production may not be related to the onset of contractile dysfunction. PMID:24951621

  6. Dynamic changes in scope for heart rate and cardiac autonomic control during warm acclimation in rainbow trout.

    PubMed

    Ekström, Andreas; Hellgren, Kim; Gräns, Albin; Pichaud, Nicolas; Sandblom, Erik

    2016-04-15

    Time course studies are critical for understanding regulatory mechanisms and temporal constraints in ectothermic animals acclimating to warmer temperatures. Therefore, we investigated the dynamics of heart rate and its neuro-humoral control in rainbow trout ( ITALIC! Onchorhynchus mykissL.) acclimating to 16°C for 39 days after being acutely warmed from 9°C. Resting heart rate was 39 beats min(-1)at 9°C, and increased significantly when fish were acutely warmed to 16°C ( ITALIC! Q10=1.9), but then declined during acclimation ( ITALIC! Q10=1.2 at day 39), mainly due to increased cholinergic inhibition while the intrinsic heart rate and adrenergic tone were little affected. Maximum heart rate also increased with warming, although a partial modest decrease occurred during the acclimation period. Consequently, heart rate scope exhibited a complex pattern with an initial increase with acute warming, followed by a steep decline and then a subsequent increase, which was primarily explained by cholinergic inhibition of resting heart rate. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  7. Heart failure and atrial fibrillation: current concepts and controversies.

    PubMed Central

    Van den Berg, M. P.; Tuinenburg, A. E.; Crijns, H. J.; Van Gelder, I. C.; Gosselink, A. T.; Lie, K. I.

    1997-01-01

    Heart failure and atrial fibrillation are very common, particularly in the elderly. Owing to common risk factors both disorders are often present in the same patient. In addition, there is increasing evidence of a complex, reciprocal relation between heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Thus heart failure may cause atrial fibrillation, with electromechanical feedback and neurohumoral activation playing an important mediating role. In addition, atrial fibrillation may promote heart failure; in particular, when there is an uncontrolled ventricular rate, tachycardiomyopathy may develop and thereby heart failure. Eventually, a vicious circle between heart failure and atrial fibrillation may form, in which neurohumoral activation and subtle derangement of rate control are involved. Treatment should aim at unloading of the heart, adequate control of ventricular rate, and correction of neurohumoral activation. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors may help to achieve these goals. Treatment should also include an attempt to restore sinus rhythm through electrical cardioversion, though appropriate timing of cardioversion is difficult. His bundle ablation may be used to achieve adequate rate control in drug refractory cases. PMID:9155607

  8. The effect of orthostasis on recurrence quantification analysis of heart rate and blood pressure dynamics.

    PubMed

    Javorka, M; Turianikova, Z; Tonhajzerova, I; Javorka, K; Baumert, M

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of orthostatic challenge on recurrence plot based complexity measures of heart rate and blood pressure variability (HRV and BPV). HRV and BPV complexities were assessed in 28 healthy subjects over 15 min in the supine and standing positions. The complexity of HRV and BPV was assessed based on recurrence quantification analysis. HRV complexity was reduced along with the HRV magnitude after changing from the supine to the standing position. In contrast, the BPV magnitude increased and BPV complexity decreased upon standing. Recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) of HRV and BPV is sensitive to orthostatic challenge and might therefore be suited to assess changes in autonomic neural outflow to the cardiovascular system.

  9. Recurrence-plot-based measures of complexity and their application to heart-rate-variability data.

    PubMed

    Marwan, Norbert; Wessel, Niels; Meyerfeldt, Udo; Schirdewan, Alexander; Kurths, Jürgen

    2002-08-01

    The knowledge of transitions between regular, laminar or chaotic behaviors is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms behind complex systems. While several linear approaches are often insufficient to describe such processes, there are several nonlinear methods that, however, require rather long time observations. To overcome these difficulties, we propose measures of complexity based on vertical structures in recurrence plots and apply them to the logistic map as well as to heart-rate-variability data. For the logistic map these measures enable us not only to detect transitions between chaotic and periodic states, but also to identify laminar states, i.e., chaos-chaos transitions. The traditional recurrence quantification analysis fails to detect the latter transitions. Applying our measures to the heart-rate-variability data, we are able to detect and quantify the laminar phases before a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia occurs thereby facilitating a prediction of such an event. Our findings could be of importance for the therapy of malignant cardiac arrhythmias.

  10. Ventricular arrhythmias and changes in heart rate preceding ventricular tachycardia in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

    PubMed

    Lerma, Claudia; Wessel, Niels; Schirdewan, Alexander; Kurths, Jürgen; Glass, Leon

    2008-07-01

    The objective was to determine the characteristics of heart rate variability and ventricular arrhythmias prior to the onset of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Sixty-eight beat-to-beat time series from 13 patients with an ICD were analyzed to quantify heart rate variability and ventricular arrhythmias. The episodes of VT were classified in one of two groups depending on whether the sinus rate in the 1 min preceding the VT was greater or less than 90 beats per minute. In a subset of patients, increased heart rate and reduced heart rate variability was often observed up to 20 min prior to the VT. There was a non-significant trend to higher incidence of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) before VT compared to control recordings. The patterns of the ventricular arrhythmias were highly heterogeneous among different patients and even within the same patient. Analysis of the changes of heart rate and heart rate variability may have predictive value about the onset of VT in selected patients. The patterns of ventricular arrhythmia could not be used to predict onset of VT in this group of patients.

  11. Complexity analysis of fetal heart rate preceding intrauterine demise.

    PubMed

    Schnettler, William T; Goldberger, Ary L; Ralston, Steven J; Costa, Madalena

    2016-08-01

    Visual non-stress test interpretation lacks the optimal specificity and observer-agreement of an ideal screening tool for intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) syndrome prevention. Computational methods based on traditional heart rate variability have also been of limited value. Complexity analysis probes properties of the dynamics of physiologic signals that are otherwise not accessible and, therefore, might be useful in this context. To explore the association between fetal heart rate (FHR) complexity analysis and subsequent IUFD. Our specific hypothesis is that the complexity of the fetal heart rate dynamics is lower in the IUFD group compared with controls. This case-control study utilized cases of IUFD at a single tertiary-care center among singleton pregnancies with at least 10min of continuous electronic FHR monitoring on at least 2 weekly occasions in the 3 weeks immediately prior to fetal demise. Controls delivered a live singleton beyond 35 weeks' gestation and were matched to cases by gestational age, testing indication, and maternal age in a 3:1 ratio. FHR data was analyzed using the multiscale entropy (MSE) method to derive their complexity index. In addition, pNNx, a measure of short-term heart rate variability, which in adults is ascribable primarily to cardiac vagal tone modulation, was also computed. 211 IUFDs occurred during the 9-year period of review, but only 6 met inclusion criteria. The median gestational age at the time of IUFD was 35.5 weeks. Three controls were matched to each case for a total of 24 subjects, and 87 FHR tracings were included for analysis. The median gestational age at the first fetal heart rate tracing was similar between groups (median [1st-3rd quartiles] weeks: IUFD cases: 34.7 (34.4-36.2); controls: 35.3 (34.4-36.1); p=.94). The median complexity of the cases' tracings was significantly less than the controls' (12.44 [8.9-16.77] vs. 17.82 [15.21-22.17]; p<.0001). Furthermore, the cases' median complexity decreased as gestation advanced whereas the controls' median complexity increased over time. However, this difference was not statistically significant [-0.83 (-2.03 to 0.47) vs. 0.14 (-1.25 to 0.94); p=.62]. The degree of short-term variability of FHR tracings, as measured by the pNN metric, was significantly lower (p<.005) for the controls (1.1 [0.8-1.3]) than the IUFD cases (1.3 [1.1-1.6]). FHR complexity analysis using multiscale entropy analysis may add value to other measures in detecting and monitoring pregnancies at the highest risk for IUFD. The decrease in complexity and short-term variability seen in the IUFD cases may reflect perturbations in neuroautonomic control due to multiple maternal-fetal factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. [Analysis of Foetal Heart Rate Data using Complex Software: Comparison of Recurrence Plot of Foetal Heart Rate with the Course of Pregnancy -].

    PubMed

    Jörn, H; Morgenstern, B; Wassenberg, B; Rath, W

    2004-08-01

    Is it useful to further analyse foetal heart rate to improve the prediction of pregnancy complications? The analysis of the foetal heart rate is usually based on the variability of the heart rate, i. e. the more variable the heart rate presents - except a decrease - the better the condition of the foetus is. The same concept is applied in our own analysis which differs only in the presentation of the data. We analysed 25 non-stress-tests from unselected third trimester pregnancies using sophisticated software. The recurrence plot (RP) is able to rearrange data from foetal heart rate monitoring in order to make the heart rate variability visible. We developed criteria for a normal and an abnormal test result describing the structure of the diagram to predict an uneventful and a high-risk pregnancy, respectively. 11 out of 11 patients with uneventful course and outcome of pregnancy showed a coarse and blurred RP pattern. 12 out of 14 (86 %) patients developing either intrauterine growth retardation or preeclampsia and requiring caesarean section because of foetal heart rate abnormalities showed a fine and clear RP pattern. Our preliminary results show that it makes sense to further evaluate foetal heart rate variability in order to predict pregnancy complications. Computer programs including the algorithms needed (calculation of the recurrence plot) are not expensive and easy to handle. A widespread use of these programs represents the basis requirement for large controlled clinical trials.

  13. Field test of a paradigm: hysteresis of heart rate in thermoregulation by a free-ranging lizard (Pogona barbata).

    PubMed Central

    Grigg, G C; Seebacher, F

    1999-01-01

    The discovery that changes in heart rate and blood flow allow some reptiles to heat faster than they cool has become a central paradigm in our understanding of reptilian thermoregulation. However, this hysteresis in heart rate has been demonstrated only in simplistic laboratory heating and cooling trials, leaving its functional significance in free-ranging animals unproven. To test the validity of this paradigm, we measured heart rate and body temperature (Tb) in undisturbed, free-ranging bearded dragons (Pogona barbata), the species in which this phenomenon was first described. Our field data confirmed the paradigm and we found that heart rate during heating usually exceeded heart rate during cooling at any Tb. Importantly, however, we discovered that heart rate was proportionally faster in cool lizards whose Tb was still well below the 'preferred Tb range' compared to lizards whose Tb was already close to it. Similarly, heart rate during cooling was proportionally slower the warmer the lizard and the greater its cooling potential compared to lizards whose Tb was already near minimum operative temperature. Further, we predicted that, if heart rate hysteresis has functional significance, a 'reverse hysteresis' pattern should be observable when lizards risked overheating. This was indeed the case and, during heating on those occasions when Tb reached very high levels (> 40 degrees C), heart rate was significantly lower than heart rate during the immediately following cooling phase. These results demonstrate that physiological control of thermoregulation in reptiles is more complex than has been previously recognized. PMID:10418165

  14. Dietary nitrate increases arginine availability and protects mitochondrial complex I and energetics in the hypoxic rat heart

    PubMed Central

    Ashmore, Tom; Fernandez, Bernadette O; Branco-Price, Cristina; West, James A; Cowburn, Andrew S; Heather, Lisa C; Griffin, Julian L; Johnson, Randall S; Feelisch, Martin; Murray, Andrew J

    2014-01-01

    Hypoxic exposure is associated with impaired cardiac energetics in humans and altered mitochondrial function, with suppressed complex I-supported respiration, in rat heart. This response might limit reactive oxygen species generation, but at the cost of impaired electron transport chain (ETC) activity. Dietary nitrate supplementation improves mitochondrial efficiency and can promote tissue oxygenation by enhancing blood flow. We therefore hypothesised that ETC dysfunction, impaired energetics and oxidative damage in the hearts of rats exposed to chronic hypoxia could be alleviated by sustained administration of a moderate dose of dietary nitrate. Male Wistar rats (n = 40) were given water supplemented with 0.7 mmol l−1 NaCl (as control) or 0.7 mmol l−1 NaNO3, elevating plasma nitrate levels by 80%, and were exposed to 13% O2 (hypoxia) or normoxia (n = 10 per group) for 14 days. Respiration rates, ETC protein levels, mitochondrial density, ATP content and protein carbonylation were measured in cardiac muscle. Complex I respiration rates and protein levels were 33% lower in hypoxic/NaCl rats compared with normoxic/NaCl controls. Protein carbonylation was 65% higher in hearts of hypoxic rats compared with controls, indicating increased oxidative stress, whilst ATP levels were 62% lower. Respiration rates, complex I protein and activity, protein carbonylation and ATP levels were all fully protected in the hearts of nitrate-supplemented hypoxic rats. Both in normoxia and hypoxia, dietary nitrate suppressed cardiac arginase expression and activity and markedly elevated cardiac l-arginine concentrations, unmasking a novel mechanism of action by which nitrate enhances tissue NO bioavailability. Dietary nitrate therefore alleviates metabolic abnormalities in the hypoxic heart, improving myocardial energetics. PMID:25172947

  15. Complexity of the heart rhythm after heart transplantation by entropy of transition network for RR-increments of RR time intervals between heartbeats.

    PubMed

    Makowiec, Danuta; Struzik, Zbigniew; Graff, Beata; Wdowczyk-Szulc, Joanna; Zarczynska-Buchnowiecka, Marta; Gruchala, Marcin; Rynkiewicz, Andrzej

    2013-01-01

    Network models have been used to capture, represent and analyse characteristics of living organisms and general properties of complex systems. The use of network representations in the characterization of time series complexity is a relatively new but quickly developing branch of time series analysis. In particular, beat-to-beat heart rate variability can be mapped out in a network of RR-increments, which is a directed and weighted graph with vertices representing RR-increments and the edges of which correspond to subsequent increments. We evaluate entropy measures selected from these network representations in records of healthy subjects and heart transplant patients, and provide an interpretation of the results.

  16. Heart rate and respiratory rhythm dynamics on ascent to high altitude.

    PubMed Central

    Lipsitz, L. A.; Hashimoto, F.; Lubowsky, L. P.; Mietus, J.; Moody, G. B.; Appenzeller, O.; Goldberger, A. L.

    1995-01-01

    OBJECTIVE--To investigate the alterations in autonomic control of heart rate at high altitude and to test the hypothesis that hypoxaemic stress during exposure to high altitude induces non-linear, periodic heart rate oscillations, similar to those seen in heart failure and the sleep apnoea syndrome. SUBJECTS--11 healthy subjects aged 24-64. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--24 hour ambulatory electrocardiogram records obtained at baseline (1524 m) and at 4700 m. Simultaneous heart rate and respiratory dynamics during 2.5 hours of sleep by fast Fourier transform analysis of beat to beat heart rate and of an electrocardiographically derived respiration signal. RESULTS--All subjects had resting hypoxaemia at high altitude, with an average oxyhaemoglobin saturation of 81% (5%). There was no significant change in mean heart rate, but low frequency (0.01-0.05 Hz) spectral power was increased (P < 0.01) at high altitude. Time series analysis showed a complex range of non-linear sinus rhythm dynamics. Striking low frequency (0.04-0.06 Hz) heart rate oscillations were observed during sleep in eight subjects at high altitude. Analysis of the electrocardiographically derived respiration signal indicated that these heart rate oscillations correlated with low frequency respiratory oscillations. CONCLUSIONS--These data suggest (a) that increased low frequency power during high altitude exposure is not simply attributable to increased sympathetic modulation of heart rate, but relates to distinctive cardiopulmonary oscillations at approximately 0.05 Hz and (b) that the emergence of periodic heart rate oscillations at high altitude is consistent with an unstable cardiopulmonary control system that may develop on acute exposure to hypoxaemic stress. PMID:7488453

  17. Heart rate and respiratory rhythm dynamics on ascent to high altitude

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lipsitz, L. A.; Hashimoto, F.; Lubowsky, L. P.; Mietus, J.; Moody, G. B.; Appenzeller, O.; Goldberger, A. L.

    1995-01-01

    OBJECTIVE--To investigate the alterations in autonomic control of heart rate at high altitude and to test the hypothesis that hypoxaemic stress during exposure to high altitude induces non-linear, periodic heart rate oscillations, similar to those seen in heart failure and the sleep apnoea syndrome. SUBJECTS--11 healthy subjects aged 24-64. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--24 hour ambulatory electrocardiogram records obtained at baseline (1524 m) and at 4700 m. Simultaneous heart rate and respiratory dynamics during 2.5 hours of sleep by fast Fourier transform analysis of beat to beat heart rate and of an electrocardiographically derived respiration signal. RESULTS--All subjects had resting hypoxaemia at high altitude, with an average oxyhaemoglobin saturation of 81% (5%). There was no significant change in mean heart rate, but low frequency (0.01-0.05 Hz) spectral power was increased (P < 0.01) at high altitude. Time series analysis showed a complex range of non-linear sinus rhythm dynamics. Striking low frequency (0.04-0.06 Hz) heart rate oscillations were observed during sleep in eight subjects at high altitude. Analysis of the electrocardiographically derived respiration signal indicated that these heart rate oscillations correlated with low frequency respiratory oscillations. CONCLUSIONS--These data suggest (a) that increased low frequency power during high altitude exposure is not simply attributable to increased sympathetic modulation of heart rate, but relates to distinctive cardiopulmonary oscillations at approximately 0.05 Hz and (b) that the emergence of periodic heart rate oscillations at high altitude is consistent with an unstable cardiopulmonary control system that may develop on acute exposure to hypoxaemic stress.

  18. Multiscale entropy analysis of heart rate variability in heart failure, hypertensive, and sinoaortic-denervated rats: classical and refined approaches.

    PubMed

    Silva, Luiz Eduardo Virgilio; Lataro, Renata Maria; Castania, Jaci Airton; da Silva, Carlos Alberto Aguiar; Valencia, Jose Fernando; Murta, Luiz Otavio; Salgado, Helio Cesar; Fazan, Rubens; Porta, Alberto

    2016-07-01

    The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) by nonlinear methods has been gaining increasing interest due to their ability to quantify the complexity of cardiovascular regulation. In this study, multiscale entropy (MSE) and refined MSE (RMSE) were applied to track the complexity of HRV as a function of time scale in three pathological conscious animal models: rats with heart failure (HF), spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and rats with sinoaortic denervation (SAD). Results showed that HF did not change HRV complexity, although there was a tendency to decrease the entropy in HF animals. On the other hand, SHR group was characterized by reduced complexity at long time scales, whereas SAD animals exhibited a smaller short- and long-term irregularity. We propose that short time scales (1 to 4), accounting for fast oscillations, are more related to vagal and respiratory control, whereas long time scales (5 to 20), accounting for slow oscillations, are more related to sympathetic control. The increased sympathetic modulation is probably the main reason for the lower entropy observed at high scales for both SHR and SAD groups, acting as a negative factor for the cardiovascular complexity. This study highlights the contribution of the multiscale complexity analysis of HRV for understanding the physiological mechanisms involved in cardiovascular regulation. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  19. Heart Rate Variability: New Perspectives on Physiological Mechanisms, Assessment of Self-regulatory Capacity, and Health risk

    PubMed Central

    Shaffer, Fred

    2015-01-01

    Heart rate variability, the change in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats, is an emergent property of interdependent regulatory systems that operates on different time scales to adapt to environmental and psychological challenges. This article briefly reviews neural regulation of the heart and offers some new perspectives on mechanisms underlying the very low frequency rhythm of heart rate variability. Interpretation of heart rate variability rhythms in the context of health risk and physiological and psychological self-regulatory capacity assessment is discussed. The cardiovascular regulatory centers in the spinal cord and medulla integrate inputs from higher brain centers with afferent cardiovascular system inputs to adjust heart rate and blood pressure via sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. We also discuss the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the heart-brain connection pathways, through which afferent information can influence activity in the subcortical, frontocortical, and motor cortex areas. In addition, the use of real-time HRV feedback to increase self-regulatory capacity is reviewed. We conclude that the heart's rhythms are characterized by both complexity and stability over longer time scales that reflect both physiological and psychological functional status of these internal self-regulatory systems. PMID:25694852

  20. Heart Rate Variability: New Perspectives on Physiological Mechanisms, Assessment of Self-regulatory Capacity, and Health risk.

    PubMed

    McCraty, Rollin; Shaffer, Fred

    2015-01-01

    Heart rate variability, the change in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats, is an emergent property of interdependent regulatory systems that operates on different time scales to adapt to environmental and psychological challenges. This article briefly reviews neural regulation of the heart and offers some new perspectives on mechanisms underlying the very low frequency rhythm of heart rate variability. Interpretation of heart rate variability rhythms in the context of health risk and physiological and psychological self-regulatory capacity assessment is discussed. The cardiovascular regulatory centers in the spinal cord and medulla integrate inputs from higher brain centers with afferent cardiovascular system inputs to adjust heart rate and blood pressure via sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. We also discuss the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the heart-brain connection pathways, through which afferent information can influence activity in the subcortical, frontocortical, and motor cortex areas. In addition, the use of real-time HRV feedback to increase self-regulatory capacity is reviewed. We conclude that the heart's rhythms are characterized by both complexity and stability over longer time scales that reflect both physiological and psychological functional status of these internal self-regulatory systems.

  1. Heart rate complexity in sinoaortic-denervated mice.

    PubMed

    Silva, Luiz Eduardo V; Rodrigues, Fernanda Luciano; de Oliveira, Mauro; Salgado, Hélio Cesar; Fazan, Rubens

    2015-02-01

    What is the central question of this study? New measurements for cardiovascular complexity, such as detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and multiscale entropy (MSE), have been shown to predict cardiovascular outcomes. Given that cardiovascular diseases are accompanied by autonomic imbalance and decreased baroreflex sensitivity, the central question is: do baroreceptors contribute to cardiovascular complexity? What is the main finding and its importance? Sinoaortic denervation altered both DFA scaling exponents and MSE, indicating that both short- and long-term mechanisms of complexity are altered in sinoaortic denervated mice, resulting in a loss of physiological complexity. These results suggest that the baroreflex is a key element in the complex structures involved in heart rate variability regulation. Recently, heart rate (HR) oscillations have been recognized as complex behaviours derived from non-linear processes. Physiological complexity theory is based on the idea that healthy systems present high complexity, i.e. non-linear, fractal variability at multiple scales, with long-range correlations. The loss of complexity in heart rate variability (HRV) has been shown to predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Based on the idea that most cardiovascular diseases are accompanied by autonomic imbalance and a decrease in baroreflex sensitivity, we hypothesize that the baroreflex plays an important role in complex cardiovascular behaviour. Mice that had been subjected to sinoaortic denervation (SAD) were implanted with catheters in the femoral artery and jugular vein 5 days prior to the experiment. After recording the baseline arterial pressure (AP), pulse interval time series were generated from the intervals between consecutive values of diastolic pressure. The complexity of the HRV was determined using detrended fluctuation analysis and multiscale entropy. The detrended fluctuation analysis α1 scaling exponent (a short-term index) was remarkably decreased in the SAD mice (0.79 ± 0.06 versus 1.13 ± 0.04 for the control mice), whereas SAD slightly increased the α2 scaling exponent (a long-term index; 1.12 ± 0.03 versus 1.04 ± 0.02 for control mice). In the SAD mice, the total multiscale entropy was decreased (13.2 ± 1.3) compared with the control mice (18.9 ± 1.4). In conclusion, fractal and regularity structures of HRV are altered in SAD mice, affecting both short- and long-term mechanisms of complexity, suggesting that the baroreceptors play a considerable role in the complex structure of HRV. © 2014 The Authors. Experimental Physiology © 2014 The Physiological Society.

  2. A fast non-contact imaging photoplethysmography method using a tissue-like model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDuff, Daniel J.; Blackford, Ethan B.; Estepp, Justin R.; Nishidate, Izumi

    2018-02-01

    Imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG) allows non-contact, concomitant measurement and visualization of peripheral blood flow using just an RGB camera. Most iPPG methods require a window of temporal data and complex computation, this makes real-time measurement and spatial visualization impossible. We present a fast,"window-less", non-contact imaging photoplethysmography method, based on a tissue-like model of the skin, that allows accurate measurement of heart rate and heart rate variability parameters. The error in heart rate estimates is equivalent to state-of-the-art techniques and computation is much faster.

  3. Common multifractality in the heart rate variability and brain activity of healthy humans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, D. C.; Sharif, A.

    2010-06-01

    The influence from the central nervous system on the human multifractal heart rate variability (HRV) is examined under the autonomic nervous system perturbation induced by the head-up-tilt body maneuver. We conducted the multifractal factorization analysis to factor out the common multifractal factor in the joint fluctuation of the beat-to-beat heart rate and electroencephalography data. Evidence of a central link in the multifractal HRV was found, where the transition towards increased (decreased) HRV multifractal complexity is associated with a stronger (weaker) multifractal correlation between the central and autonomic nervous systems.

  4. Quantifying the Physiological Stress Response to Simulated Maritime Pilotage Tasks

    PubMed Central

    Main, Luana C.; Wolkow, Alexander; Chambers, Timothy P.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study was to quantify the stress associated with performing maritime pilotage tasks in a high-fidelity simulator. Methods: Eight trainee and 13 maritime pilots completed two simulated pilotage tasks of varying complexity. Salivary cortisol samples were collected pre- and post-simulation for both trials. Heart rate was measured continuously throughout the study. Results: Significant changes in salivary cortisol (P = 0.000, η2 = 0.139), average (P = 0.006, η2 = 0.087), and peak heart rate (P = 0.013, η2 = 0.077) from pre- to postsimulation were found. Varying task complexity did partially influence stress response; average (P = 0.016, η2 = 0.026) and peak heart rate (P = 0.034, η2 = 0.020) were higher in the experimental condition. Trainees also recorded higher average (P = 0.000, η2 = 0.054) and peak heart rates (P = 0.027, η2 = 0.022). Conclusion: Performing simulated pilotage tasks evoked a measurable stress response in both trainee and expert maritime pilots. PMID:28922309

  5. A Case Study of Infant Physiologic Response to Skin-to-Skin Contact After Surgery for Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Tondi M; Ludington-Hoe, Susan

    2015-01-01

    Infants with complex congenital heart disease requiring surgical intervention within the first days or weeks of life may be the most seriously ill infants needing intensive nursing and medical care. Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is well accepted and practiced as a positive therapeutic intervention in premature infants but is not routinely offered to infants in cardiac intensive care units. The physiologic effects of SSC in the congenital heart disease population must be examined before recommending incorporation of SSC into standard care routines. The purpose of this case study was to describe the physiologic response to a single session of SSC in an 18-day-old infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Repeated measures of heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and temperature were recorded 30 minutes before SSC, during SSC (including interruptions for bottle and breast feedings), and 10 minutes after SSC was completed. All physiologic parameters were clinically acceptable throughout the 135-minute observation. This case study provides beginning evidence that SSC is safe in full-term infants after surgery for complex congenital heart disease. Further research with a larger sample is needed to examine the effects of SSC on infant physiology before surgery and earlier in the postoperative time period as well as on additional outcomes such as length of stay, maternal-infant interaction, and neurodevelopment.

  6. An improved method of measuring heart rate using a webcam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yi; Ouyang, Jianfei; Yan, Yonggang

    2014-09-01

    Measuring heart rate traditionally requires special equipment and physical contact with the subject. Reliable non-contact and low-cost measurements are highly desirable for convenient and comfortable physiological self-assessment. Previous work has shown that consumer-grade cameras can provide useful signals for remote heart rate measurements. In this paper a simple and robust method of measuring the heart rate using low-cost webcam is proposed. Blood volume pulse is extracted by proper Region of Interest (ROI) and color channel selection from image sequences of human faces without complex computation. Heart rate is subsequently quantified by spectrum analysis. The method is successfully applied under natural lighting conditions. Results of experiments show that it takes less time, is much simpler, and has similar accuracy to the previously published and widely used method of Independent Component Analysis (ICA). Benefitting from non-contact, convenience, and low-costs, it provides great promise for popularization of home healthcare and can further be applied to biomedical research.

  7. Comparison of higher order spectra in heart rate signals during two techniques of meditation: Chi and Kundalini meditation.

    PubMed

    Goshvarpour, Ateke; Goshvarpour, Atefeh

    2013-02-01

    The human heartbeat is one of the important examples of complex physiologic fluctuations. For the first time in this study higher order spectra of heart rate signals during meditation have explored. Specifically, the aim of this study was to analysis and compares the contribution of quadratic phase coupling of human heart rate variability during two forms of meditation: (1) Chinese Chi (or Qigong) meditation and (2) Kundalini Yoga meditation. For this purpose, Bispectrum was estimated by using biased, parametric and the direct (FFT) method. The results show that the mean Bispectrum magnitude of heart rate signals increased during Kundalini Yoga meditation, but it decreased significantly during Chi meditation. However, in both meditation techniques phase-coupled harmonics are shifted to the higher frequencies during meditation. In addition, it has shown that not only there are significant differences between rest and meditation states, but also heart rate patterns appear to be influenced by different types of meditation.

  8. Autonomic components of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) are favourably affected by Electrical Twitch-Obtaining Intramuscular Stimulation (ETOIMS): effects on blood pressure and heart rate.

    PubMed

    Chu, Jennifer; Bruyninckx, Frans; Neuhauser, Duncan V

    2017-07-01

    Favourable pain relief results on evoking autonomous twitches at myofascial trigger points with Electrical Twitch Obtaining Intramuscular Stimulation (ETOIMS). To document autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) from blood pressure (BP) and pulse/heart rate changes with ETOIMS. A patient with persistent pain regularly received serial ETOIMS sessions of 60, 90, 120 or ≥150 min over 24 months. Outcome measures include BP: systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure and pulse/heart rate, pre-session/immediate-post-session summed differences (SDPPP index), and pain reduction. His results were compared with that of two other patients and one normal control. Each individual represented the following maximal elicitable twitch forces (TWF) graded 1-5: maximum TWF2: control subject; maximum TWF3: CRPS patient with suspected ANS dysfunction; and maximum TWF4 and TWF5: two patients with respective slow-fatigue and fast-fatigue twitches who during ETOIMS had autonomous twitching at local and remote myotomes simultaneously from denervation supersensitivity. ETOIMS results between TWFs were compared using one-way analysis of variance test. The patients showed immediate significant pain reduction, BP and pulse/heart rate changes/reduction(s) except for diastolic BP in the TWF5 patient. TWF2 control subject had diastolic BP reduction with ETOIMS but not with rest. Linear regression showed TWF grade to be the most significant variable in pain reduction, more so than the number of treatments, session duration and treatment interval. TWF grade was the most important variable in significantly reducing outcome measures, especially pulse/heart rate. Unlike others, the TWF3 patient had distinctive reductions in SDPPP index. Measuring BP and pulse/heart rate is clinically practical for alerting ANS dysfunction maintained CRPS. SDPPP index (≥26) and pulse/heart rate (≥8) reductions with almost every ETOIMS treatment, plus inability to evoke autonomous twitches due to pain-induced muscle hypertonicity, are pathognomonic of this problem.

  9. Cardiac interbeat interval dynamics from childhood to senescence : comparison of conventional and new measures based on fractals and chaos theory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pikkujamsa, S. M.; Makikallio, T. H.; Sourander, L. B.; Raiha, I. J.; Puukka, P.; Skytta, J.; Peng, C. K.; Goldberger, A. L.; Huikuri, H. V.

    1999-01-01

    BACKGROUND: New methods of R-R interval variability based on fractal scaling and nonlinear dynamics ("chaos theory") may give new insights into heart rate dynamics. The aims of this study were to (1) systematically characterize and quantify the effects of aging from early childhood to advanced age on 24-hour heart rate dynamics in healthy subjects; (2) compare age-related changes in conventional time- and frequency-domain measures with changes in newly derived measures based on fractal scaling and complexity (chaos) theory; and (3) further test the hypothesis that there is loss of complexity and altered fractal scaling of heart rate dynamics with advanced age. METHODS AND RESULTS: The relationship between age and cardiac interbeat (R-R) interval dynamics from childhood to senescence was studied in 114 healthy subjects (age range, 1 to 82 years) by measurement of the slope, beta, of the power-law regression line (log power-log frequency) of R-R interval variability (10(-4) to 10(-2) Hz), approximate entropy (ApEn), short-term (alpha(1)) and intermediate-term (alpha(2)) fractal scaling exponents obtained by detrended fluctuation analysis, and traditional time- and frequency-domain measures from 24-hour ECG recordings. Compared with young adults (<40 years old, n=29), children (<15 years old, n=27) showed similar complexity (ApEn) and fractal correlation properties (alpha(1), alpha(2), beta) of R-R interval dynamics despite lower spectral and time-domain measures. Progressive loss of complexity (decreased ApEn, r=-0.69, P<0.001) and alterations of long-term fractal-like heart rate behavior (increased alpha(2), r=0.63, decreased beta, r=-0.60, P<0.001 for both) were observed thereafter from middle age (40 to 60 years, n=29) to old age (>60 years, n=29). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac interbeat interval dynamics change markedly from childhood to old age in healthy subjects. Children show complexity and fractal correlation properties of R-R interval time series comparable to those of young adults, despite lower overall heart rate variability. Healthy aging is associated with R-R interval dynamics showing higher regularity and altered fractal scaling consistent with a loss of complex variability.

  10. Effect of hypokinesia on cardiac contractile function and nervous regulation of the heart

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meyerson, F. Z.; Kapelko, V. I.; Gorina, M. S.; Shchegolkov, A. N.; Larinov, N. P.

    1980-01-01

    Longterm hypokinesia caused cardiac deadaptation in rabbits, which resulted in the diminishing of the left ventricular rate of contraction and relaxation, joined later by decreased vascular resistance. As a results, the ejection rate as well as stroke volume and cardiac output were normal. The decrease of the relaxation speed was more obvious at a high heart rate and results in shortening of the diastolic pause and diminishing of cardiac output. Hearts of the hypokinetic animals were characterized by normal maximal pressure developed by a unit of muccardial mass aorta clamping, decreased adrenoreactivity, and increased cholinoreactivity. This complex of changes is contrary to changes observed in adaptation to exercise, but is similar to changes observed in compensatory hypertrophy of the heart.

  11. Improving the Prediction of Mortality and the Need for Life-Saving Interventions in Trauma Patients Using Standard Vital Signs With Heart-Rate Variability and Complexity

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-06-01

    Trauma 69:S10YS13, 2010. 2. Liu NT, Holcomb JB, Wade CE, Darrah MI, Salinas J: Utility of vital signs, heart-rate variability and complexity, and machine ... learning for identifying the need for life-saving interventions in trauma patients. Shock 42:108Y114, 2014. 3. Pickering TG, Shimbo D, Hass D...Ann Emerg Med 45:68Y76, 2005. 8. Liu NT, Holcomb JB, Wade CE, Batchinsky AI, Cancio LC, Darrah MI, Salinas J: Development and validation of a machine

  12. Twenty-four hour Holter monitoring in finishing cattle housed outdoors.

    PubMed

    Frese, D A; Thomason, J D; Reinhardt, C; Bartle, S; Rethorst, D; Loneragan, G H; Thomson, D

    2017-04-01

    Atrial premature complexes have been reported to be the most common arrhythmia in cattle and is suspected to be secondary to systemic disease, especially gastrointestinal disease. In order to properly identify pathologic arrhythmia in cattle, the normal rhythm and arrhythmia prevalence should be defined. The objective of this study was to determine the normal heart rate, rhythm, number of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs), and atrial premature complexes (APCs) in unrestrained Angus steers. Twenty-seven client owned steers with unremarkable physical examinations and serum biochemical analyses were used. Twenty-four hour Holter monitors, attached by a custom-made harness, were retrospectively evaluated. Three lead electrocardiographic registrations of good quality and normal sinus rhythm were obtained from all steers in the study. The mean heart rate was 66.8 bpm ± 16.4 bpm. Ventricular premature complexes were rare (noted in 14.8% of steers), and APCs were common (noted in 85% of the steers). Simple second degree AV block was observed in 18.5% of the steers. In summary, healthy steers have rare single VPCs, although it is possible for an individual animal to have apparent more frequent VPCs. Mean heart rate varies with a diurnal pattern similar to other species. Atrial premature complexes are the most prevalent abnormality observed in feedlot steers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Complexity of cardiac signals for predicting changes in alpha-waves after stress in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiu, Hung-Chih; Lin, Yen-Hung; Lo, Men-Tzung; Tang, Sung-Chun; Wang, Tzung-Dau; Lu, Hung-Chun; Ho, Yi-Lwun; Ma, Hsi-Pin; Peng, Chung-Kang

    2015-08-01

    The hierarchical interaction between electrical signals of the brain and heart is not fully understood. We hypothesized that the complexity of cardiac electrical activity can be used to predict changes in encephalic electricity after stress. Most methods for analyzing the interaction between the heart rate variability (HRV) and electroencephalography (EEG) require a computation-intensive mathematical model. To overcome these limitations and increase the predictive accuracy of human relaxing states, we developed a method to test our hypothesis. In addition to routine linear analysis, multiscale entropy and detrended fluctuation analysis of the HRV were used to quantify nonstationary and nonlinear dynamic changes in the heart rate time series. Short-time Fourier transform was applied to quantify the power of EEG. The clinical, HRV, and EEG parameters of postcatheterization EEG alpha waves were analyzed using change-score analysis and generalized additive models. In conclusion, the complexity of cardiac electrical signals can be used to predict EEG changes after stress.

  14. Complexity of cardiac signals for predicting changes in alpha-waves after stress in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization

    PubMed Central

    Chiu, Hung-Chih; Lin, Yen-Hung; Lo, Men-Tzung; Tang, Sung-Chun; Wang, Tzung-Dau; Lu, Hung-Chun; Ho, Yi-Lwun; Ma, Hsi-Pin; Peng, Chung-Kang

    2015-01-01

    The hierarchical interaction between electrical signals of the brain and heart is not fully understood. We hypothesized that the complexity of cardiac electrical activity can be used to predict changes in encephalic electricity after stress. Most methods for analyzing the interaction between the heart rate variability (HRV) and electroencephalography (EEG) require a computation-intensive mathematical model. To overcome these limitations and increase the predictive accuracy of human relaxing states, we developed a method to test our hypothesis. In addition to routine linear analysis, multiscale entropy and detrended fluctuation analysis of the HRV were used to quantify nonstationary and nonlinear dynamic changes in the heart rate time series. Short-time Fourier transform was applied to quantify the power of EEG. The clinical, HRV, and EEG parameters of postcatheterization EEG alpha waves were analyzed using change-score analysis and generalized additive models. In conclusion, the complexity of cardiac electrical signals can be used to predict EEG changes after stress. PMID:26286628

  15. Heart transplantation for adults with congenital heart disease: current status and future prospects.

    PubMed

    Matsuda, Hikaru; Ichikawa, Hajime; Ueno, Takayoshi; Sawa, Yoshiki

    2017-06-01

    Increased survival rates after corrective or palliative surgery for complex congenital heart disease (CHD) in infancy and childhood are now being coupled with increased numbers of patients who survive to adulthood with various residual lesions or sequelae. These patients are likely to deteriorate in cardiac function or end-organ function, eventually requiring lifesaving treatment including heart transplantation. Although early and late outcomes of heart transplantation have been improving for adult survivors of CHD, outcomes and pretransplant management could still be improved. Survivors of Fontan procedures are a vulnerable cohort, particularly when single ventricle physiology fails, mostly with protein-losing enteropathy and hepatic dysfunction. Therefore, we reviewed single-institution and larger database analyses of adults who underwent heart transplantation for CHD, to enable risk stratification by identifying the indications and outcomes. As the results, despite relatively high early mortality, long-term results were encouraging after heart transplantation. However, further investigations are needed to improve the indication criteria for complex CHD, especially for failed Fontan. In addition, the current system of status criteria and donor heart allocation system in heart transplantation should be arranged as suitable for adults with complex CHD. Furthermore, there is a strong need to develop ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation or destination therapy, especially where right-sided circulatory support is needed.

  16. Cardiac-Activity Measures for Assessing Airport Ramp-Tower Controller's Workload

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hayashi, Miwa; Dulchinos, Victoria

    2016-01-01

    Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) potentially offer objective, continuous, and non-intrusive measures of human-operators mental workload. Such measurement capability is attractive for workload assessment in complex laboratory simulations or safety-critical field testing. The present study compares mean HR and HRV data with self-reported subjective workload ratings collected during a high-fidelity human-in-the-loop simulation of airport ramp traffic control operations, which involve complex cognitive and coordination tasks. Mean HR was found to be weakly sensitive to the workload ratings, while HRV was not sensitive or even contradictory to the assumptions. Until more knowledge on stress response mechanisms of the autonomic nervous system is obtained, it is recommended that these cardiac-activity measures be used with other workload assessment tools, such as subjective measures.

  17. Cardiac-Activity Measures for Assessing Airport Ramp-Tower Controller's Workload

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hayashi, Miwa; Dulchinos, Victoria L.

    2016-01-01

    Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) potentially offer objective, continuous, and non-intrusive measures of human-operator's mental workload. Such measurement capability is attractive for workload assessment in complex laboratory simulations or safety-critical field testing. The present study compares mean HR and HRV data with self-reported subjective workload ratings collected during a high-fidelity human-in-the-loop simulation of airport ramp traffic control operations, which involve complex cognitive and coordination tasks. Mean HR was found to be weakly sensitive to the workload ratings, while HRV was not sensitive or even contradictory to the assumptions. Until more knowledge on stress response mechanisms of the autonomic nervous system is obtained, it is recommended that these cardiac-activity measures be used with other workload assessment tools, such as subjective measures.

  18. The modulatory effects of noradrenaline on vagal control of heart rate in the dogfish, Squalus acanthias.

    PubMed

    Agnisola, Claudio; Randall, David J; Taylor, Edwin W

    2003-01-01

    The possible interactions between inhibitory vagal control of the heart and circulating levels of catecholamines in dogfish (Squalus acanthias) were studied using an in situ preparation of the heart, which retained intact its innervation from centrally cut vagus nerves. The response to peripheral vagal stimulation typically consisted of an initial cardiac arrest, followed by an escape beat, leading to renewed beating at a mean heart rate lower than the prestimulation rate (partial recovery). Cessation of vagal stimulation led to a transient increase in heart rate, above the prestimulation rate. This whole response was completely abolished by 10(-4) M atropine (a muscarinic cholinergic antagonist). The degree of vagal inhibition was evaluated in terms of both the initial, maximal cardiac interval and the mean heart rate during partial recovery, both expressed as a percentage of the prestimulation heart rate. The mean prestimulation heart rate of this preparation (36+/-4 beats min(-1)) was not affected by noradrenaline but was significantly reduced by 10(-4) M nadolol (a beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist), suggesting the existence of a resting adrenergic tone arising from endogenous catecholamines. The degree of vagal inhibition of heart rate varied with the rate of stimulation and was increased by the presence of 10(-8) M noradrenaline (the normal in vivo level in routinely active fish), while 10(-7) M noradrenaline (the in vivo level measured in disturbed or deeply hypoxic fish) reduced the cardiac response to vagal stimulation. In the presence of 10(-7) M noradrenaline, 10(-4) M nadolol further reduced the vagal response, while 10(-4) M nadolol + 10(-4) M phentolamine had no effect, indicating a complex interaction between adrenoreceptors, possibly involving presynaptic modulation of vagal inhibition.

  19. Executive Functioning and School Performance Among Pediatric Survivors of Complex Congenital Heart Disease

    PubMed Central

    Gerstle, Melissa; Beebe, Dean W.; Drotar, Dennis; Cassedy, Amy; Marino, Bradley S.

    2016-01-01

    Objective To investigate the presence and severity of real-world impairments in executive functioning– responsible for children’s regulatory skills (metacognition, behavioral regulation) – and its potential impact on school performance among pediatric survivors of complex congenital heart disease (CHD). Study design Survivors of complex CHD aged 8–16 years (n=143)and their parents/guardians from a regional CHD survivor registry participated (81% participation rate). Parents completed proxy measures of executive functioning, school competency, and school-related quality of life (QOL). Patients also completed a measure of school QOL and underwent IQ testing. Patients were categorized into two groups based on heart lesion complexity: two-ventricle or single-ventricle. Results Survivors of complex CHD performed significantly worse than norms for executive functioning, IQ, school competency, and school QOL. Metacognition was more severely affected than behavioral regulation, and metacognitive deficits were more often present in older children. Even after taking into account demographic factors, disease severity, and IQ, metacognition uniquely and strongly predicted poorer school performance. In exploratory analyses, patients with single-ventricle lesions were rated as having lower school competency and school QOL, and patients with two-ventricle lesions were rated as having poorer behavioral regulation. Conclusions Survivors of complex CHD experience greater executive functioning difficulties than healthy peers, with metacognition particularly impacted and particularly relevant for day-to-day school performance. Especially in older children, clinicians should watch for metacognitive deficits, such as problems with organization, planning, self-monitoring, and follow-through on tasks. PMID:26875011

  20. Action of ethanol low doses on heart rate variability following intravenous administration in rabbits.

    PubMed

    Khvedelidze, M; Chitanava, E; Nadareishvili, D; Jiqia, G; Gvasalia, M

    2007-05-01

    Effects of low ethanol doses on the vagosympathetic mechanisms of heart rate regulation were studied in rabbits. Analysis of heart rate variability showed that single intravenous administration of 0.5 mg/kg ethanol caused a higher probability of heart electrophysiological instability in sympathicotonics in contrast to vagotonics. This was associated with activation of the whole complex of regulatory mechanisms. In vagotonics, perturbations in power spectrum indicated on rapidly shunting of regulatory activity from lower to high levels of regulatory mechanisms to realize a "first class" undifferentiated response on stress induction. Sympathicotonics were unready to ethanol intravenous administration that resulted in reduction of all spectral component. Intravenous administration of ethanol caused a higher probability of heart electrophysiological instability in sympathicotonics then in vagotonics. It is important to consider these differences for therapeutic application of ethanol to some acute poisoning (methyl alcohol, ethylene glycol).

  1. Thromboprophylaxis for atrial arrhythmias in congenital heart disease: A multicenter study.

    PubMed

    Khairy, Paul; Aboulhosn, Jamil; Broberg, Craig S; Cohen, Scott; Cook, Stephen; Dore, Annie; Fernandes, Susan M; Fournier, Anne; Kay, Joseph; Levesque, Sylvie; Macle, Laurent; Marcotte, François; Mondésert, Blandine; Mongeon, François-Pierre; Opotowsky, Alexander R; Proietti, Anna; Rivard, Lena; Ting, Jennifer; Thibault, Bernard; Zaidi, Ali; Hamilton, Robert

    2016-11-15

    There is a paucity of data to guide decisions regarding thromboprophylaxis for atrial arrhythmias in congenital heart disease. A retrospective multicenter cohort study enrolled patients with documented sustained atrial arrhythmias and congenital heart disease from 12 North American centers to quantify thromboembolic and bleeding rates associated with antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy, and explore associated factors. A blinded committee adjudicated all qualifying arrhythmias and outcomes. A total of 482 patients, 45.2% female, age 32.0±18.0years, were followed for 11.3±9.4years since the qualifying arrhythmia. Antiplatelet therapy was administered to 37.8%, anticoagulation to 54.4%, and neither to 7.9%. Congenital heart disease complexity was simple, moderate, and severe in 18.5%, 34.4%, and 47.1%, respectively. Freedom from thromboembolic events was 84.7±2.7% at 15years, with no difference between anticoagulation versus antiplatelet therapy (P=0.97). Congenital heart disease complexity was independently associated with thromboembolic events, with rates of 0.00%, 0.93%, and 1.95%/year in those with simple, moderate, and severe forms (P<0.001). CHADS 2 and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores were not predictive of thromboembolic risk. Annualized bleeding rates with antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy were 0.66% and 1.82% (P=0.039). In multivariable analyses, anticoagulation [hazard ratio (HR) 4.76, 95% CI (1.05-21.58), P=0.043] and HAS-BLED score [HR 3.15, 95% CI (1.02, 9.78), P=0.047] were independently associated with major bleeds. Current management of atrial arrhythmias in congenital heart disease is associated with a modest rate of thromboembolic events, which is predicted by disease complexity but not CHADS 2 /CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores. HAS-BLED score is applicable to the congenital population in predicting major bleeds. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Probability of detection of clinical seizures using heart rate changes.

    PubMed

    Osorio, Ivan; Manly, B F J

    2015-08-01

    Heart rate-based seizure detection is a viable complement or alternative to ECoG/EEG. This study investigates the role of various biological factors on the probability of clinical seizure detection using heart rate. Regression models were applied to 266 clinical seizures recorded from 72 subjects to investigate if factors such as age, gender, years with epilepsy, etiology, seizure site origin, seizure class, and data collection centers, among others, shape the probability of EKG-based seizure detection. Clinical seizure detection probability based on heart rate changes, is significantly (p<0.001) shaped by patients' age and gender, seizure class, and years with epilepsy. The probability of detecting clinical seizures (>0.8 in the majority of subjects) using heart rate is highest for complex partial seizures, increases with a patient's years with epilepsy, is lower for females than for males and is unrelated to the side of hemisphere origin. Clinical seizure detection probability using heart rate is multi-factorially dependent and sufficiently high (>0.8) in most cases to be clinically useful. Knowledge of the role that these factors play in shaping said probability will enhance its applicability and usefulness. Heart rate is a reliable and practical signal for extra-cerebral detection of clinical seizures originating from or spreading to central autonomic network structures. Copyright © 2015 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Modeling the cardiovascular system using a nonlinear additive autoregressive model with exogenous input

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riedl, M.; Suhrbier, A.; Malberg, H.; Penzel, T.; Bretthauer, G.; Kurths, J.; Wessel, N.

    2008-07-01

    The parameters of heart rate variability and blood pressure variability have proved to be useful analytical tools in cardiovascular physics and medicine. Model-based analysis of these variabilities additionally leads to new prognostic information about mechanisms behind regulations in the cardiovascular system. In this paper, we analyze the complex interaction between heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and respiration by nonparametric fitted nonlinear additive autoregressive models with external inputs. Therefore, we consider measurements of healthy persons and patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), with and without hypertension. It is shown that the proposed nonlinear models are capable of describing short-term fluctuations in heart rate as well as systolic blood pressure significantly better than similar linear ones, which confirms the assumption of nonlinear controlled heart rate and blood pressure. Furthermore, the comparison of the nonlinear and linear approaches reveals that the heart rate and blood pressure variability in healthy subjects is caused by a higher level of noise as well as nonlinearity than in patients suffering from OSAS. The residue analysis points at a further source of heart rate and blood pressure variability in healthy subjects, in addition to heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and respiration. Comparison of the nonlinear models within and among the different groups of subjects suggests the ability to discriminate the cohorts that could lead to a stratification of hypertension risk in OSAS patients.

  4. Route complexity and simulated physical ageing negatively influence wayfinding.

    PubMed

    Zijlstra, Emma; Hagedoorn, Mariët; Krijnen, Wim P; van der Schans, Cees P; Mobach, Mark P

    2016-09-01

    The aim of this age-simulation field experiment was to assess the influence of route complexity and physical ageing on wayfinding. Seventy-five people (aged 18-28) performed a total of 108 wayfinding tasks (i.e., 42 participants performed two wayfinding tasks and 33 performed one wayfinding task), of which 59 tasks were performed wearing gerontologic ageing suits. Outcome variables were wayfinding performance (i.e., efficiency and walking speed) and physiological outcomes (i.e., heart and respiratory rates). Analysis of covariance showed that persons on more complex routes (i.e., more floor and building changes) walked less efficiently than persons on less complex routes. In addition, simulated elderly participants perform worse in wayfinding than young participants in terms of speed (p < 0.001). Moreover, a linear mixed model showed that simulated elderly persons had higher heart rates and respiratory rates compared to young people during a wayfinding task, suggesting that simulated elderly consumed more energy during this task. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. A case study of infant physiologic response to skin-to-skin contact following surgery for complex congenital heart disease

    PubMed Central

    Harrison, Tondi M.; Ludington-Hoe, Susan

    2014-01-01

    Background Infants with complex congenital heart disease requiring surgical intervention within the first days or weeks of life may be the most seriously ill infants needing intensive nursing and medical care immediately after birth. Skin to skin contact (SSC) is well-accepted and practiced as a positive therapeutic intervention in premature infants, but is not routinely offered to infants in cardiac intensive care units. Physiologic effects of SSC in the congenital heart disease population must be examined before recommending incorporation of SSC into standard care routines. Objective The purpose of this case study was to describe the physiologic response to a single session of SSC in an 18-day-old infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Methods Repeated measures of heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and temperature were recorded 30 minutes prior to SSC, during SSC (including interruptions for bottle and breast feedings), and 10 minutes after SSC was completed. Results All physiologic parameters were clinically acceptable throughout the 135-minute observation. Conclusion This case study provides beginning evidence that SSC is safe in full-term infants following surgery for complex congenital heart disease. Further research with a larger sample is needed to examine effects of SSC on infant physiology before surgery and earlier in the postoperative time period as well as on additional outcomes such as length of stay, maternal-infant interaction, and neurodevelopment. PMID:25325374

  6. Sex differences in the fetal heart rate variability indices of twins.

    PubMed

    Tendais, Iva; Figueiredo, Bárbara; Gonçalves, Hernâni; Bernardes, João; Ayres-de-Campos, Diogo; Montenegro, Nuno

    2015-03-01

    To evaluate the differences in linear and complex heart rate dynamics in twin pairs according to fetal sex combination [male-female (MF), male-male (MM), and female-female (FF)]. Fourteen twin pairs (6 MF, 3 MM, and 5 FF) were monitored between 31 and 36.4 weeks of gestation. Twenty-six fetal heart rate (FHR) recordings of both twins were simultaneously acquired and analyzed with a system for computerized analysis of cardiotocograms. Linear and nonlinear FHR indices were calculated. Overall, MM twins presented higher intrapair average in linear indices than the other pairs, whereas FF twins showed higher sympathetic-vagal balance. MF twins exhibited higher intrapair average in entropy indices and MM twins presented lower entropy values than FF twins considering the (automatically selected) threshold rLu. MM twin pairs showed higher intrapair differences in linear heart rate indices than MF and FF twins, whereas FF twins exhibited lower intrapair differences in entropy indices. The results of this exploratory study suggest that twins have sex-specific differences in linear and nonlinear indices of FHR. MM twins expressed signs of a more active autonomic nervous system and MF twins showed the most active complexity control system. These results suggest that fetal sex combination should be taken into consideration when performing detailed evaluation of the FHR in twins.

  7. n-Order and maximum fuzzy similarity entropy for discrimination of signals of different complexity: Application to fetal heart rate signals.

    PubMed

    Zaylaa, Amira; Oudjemia, Souad; Charara, Jamal; Girault, Jean-Marc

    2015-09-01

    This paper presents two new concepts for discrimination of signals of different complexity. The first focused initially on solving the problem of setting entropy descriptors by varying the pattern size instead of the tolerance. This led to the search for the optimal pattern size that maximized the similarity entropy. The second paradigm was based on the n-order similarity entropy that encompasses the 1-order similarity entropy. To improve the statistical stability, n-order fuzzy similarity entropy was proposed. Fractional Brownian motion was simulated to validate the different methods proposed, and fetal heart rate signals were used to discriminate normal from abnormal fetuses. In all cases, it was found that it was possible to discriminate time series of different complexity such as fractional Brownian motion and fetal heart rate signals. The best levels of performance in terms of sensitivity (90%) and specificity (90%) were obtained with the n-order fuzzy similarity entropy. However, it was shown that the optimal pattern size and the maximum similarity measurement were related to intrinsic features of the time series. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Compression based entropy estimation of heart rate variability on multiple time scales.

    PubMed

    Baumert, Mathias; Voss, Andreas; Javorka, Michal

    2013-01-01

    Heart rate fluctuates beat by beat in a complex manner. The aim of this study was to develop a framework for entropy assessment of heart rate fluctuations on multiple time scales. We employed the Lempel-Ziv algorithm for lossless data compression to investigate the compressibility of RR interval time series on different time scales, using a coarse-graining procedure. We estimated the entropy of RR interval time series of 20 young and 20 old subjects and also investigated the compressibility of randomly shuffled surrogate RR time series. The original RR time series displayed significantly smaller compression entropy values than randomized RR interval data. The RR interval time series of older subjects showed significantly different entropy characteristics over multiple time scales than those of younger subjects. In conclusion, data compression may be useful approach for multiscale entropy assessment of heart rate variability.

  9. Universal structures of normal and pathological heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Gañán-Calvo, Alfonso M; Fajardo-López, Juan

    2016-02-25

    The circulatory system of living organisms is an autonomous mechanical system softly tuned with the respiratory system, and both developed by evolution as a response to the complex oxygen demand patterns associated with motion. Circulatory health is rooted in adaptability, which entails an inherent variability. Here, we show that a generalized N-dimensional normalized graph representing heart rate variability reveals two universal arrhythmic patterns as specific signatures of health one reflects cardiac adaptability, and the other the cardiac-respiratory rate tuning. In addition, we identify at least three universal arrhythmic profiles whose presences raise in proportional detriment of the two healthy ones in pathological conditions (myocardial infarction; heart failure; and recovery from sudden death). The presence of the identified universal arrhythmic structures together with the position of the centre of mass of the heart rate variability graph provide a unique quantitative assessment of the health-pathology gradient.

  10. Complex character analysis of heart rate variability following brain asphyxia.

    PubMed

    Cai, Yuanyuan; Qiu, Yihong; Wei, Lan; Zhang, Wei; Hu, Sijun; Smith, Peter R; Crabtree, Vincent P; Tong, Shanbao; Thakor, Nitish V; Zhu, Yisheng

    2006-05-01

    In the present study Renyi entropy and L-Z complexity were used to characterize heart rate variability (HRV) of rats that were suffered from brain asphyxia and ischemia. Two groups of rats were studied: (a) rats (n=5) injected with NAALADase inhibitor, 2-PMPA, which has been proven neuroprotective in asphyxia injury and (b) control subjects (n=5) without medication. Renyi entropy and L-Z complexity of the R-R intervals (RRI) at different experiment stages were investigated in the two groups. The results show that both measures indicate less injury and better recovery in the drug injection group. The dynamic change of 90 min RRI signal after the asphyxia was investigated. The sudden reduction of the two parameters shows their sensitivity to the asphyxia insult.

  11. Concepts of Interface Usability and the Enhancement of Design through Eye Tracking and Psychophysiology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-01

    attention. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability ( HRV ) are biometrics that can be used to identify periods of high mental effort and high stress...HR is known to increase when a person is exposed to mental stressors; HRV will decrease in the same situation. HRV is a much more sensitive measure...mistakes, the display is cluttered, meaningfulness. Measuring specific attitudes Annoyance, anxiety , complexity control, engagement, flexibility, fun

  12. Integration of nodal and BMP signals in the heart requires FoxH1 to create left-right differences in cell migration rates that direct cardiac asymmetry.

    PubMed

    Lenhart, Kari F; Holtzman, Nathalia G; Williams, Jessica R; Burdine, Rebecca D

    2013-01-01

    Failure to properly establish the left-right (L/R) axis is a major cause of congenital heart defects in humans, but how L/R patterning of the embryo leads to asymmetric cardiac morphogenesis is still unclear. We find that asymmetric Nodal signaling on the left and Bmp signaling act in parallel to establish zebrafish cardiac laterality by modulating cell migration velocities across the L/R axis. Moreover, we demonstrate that Nodal plays the crucial role in generating asymmetry in the heart and that Bmp signaling via Bmp4 is dispensable in the presence of asymmetric Nodal signaling. In addition, we identify a previously unappreciated role for the Nodal-transcription factor FoxH1 in mediating cell responsiveness to Bmp, further linking the control of these two pathways in the heart. The interplay between these TGFβ pathways is complex, with Nodal signaling potentially acting to limit the response to Bmp pathway activation and the dosage of Bmp signals being critical to limit migration rates. These findings have implications for understanding the complex genetic interactions that lead to congenital heart disease in humans.

  13. Advances in heart rate variability signal analysis: joint position statement by the e-Cardiology ESC Working Group and the European Heart Rhythm Association co-endorsed by the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society.

    PubMed

    Sassi, Roberto; Cerutti, Sergio; Lombardi, Federico; Malik, Marek; Huikuri, Heikki V; Peng, Chung-Kang; Schmidt, Georg; Yamamoto, Yoshiharu

    2015-09-01

    Following the publication of the Task Force document on heart rate variability (HRV) in 1996, a number of articles have been published to describe new HRV methodologies and their application in different physiological and clinical studies. This document presents a critical review of the new methods. A particular attention has been paid to methodologies that have not been reported in the 1996 standardization document but have been more recently tested in sufficiently sized populations. The following methods were considered: Long-range correlation and fractal analysis; Short-term complexity; Entropy and regularity; and Nonlinear dynamical systems and chaotic behaviour. For each of these methods, technical aspects, clinical achievements, and suggestions for clinical application were reviewed. While the novel approaches have contributed in the technical understanding of the signal character of HRV, their success in developing new clinical tools, such as those for the identification of high-risk patients, has been rather limited. Available results obtained in selected populations of patients by specialized laboratories are nevertheless of interest but new prospective studies are needed. The investigation of new parameters, descriptive of the complex regulation mechanisms of heart rate, has to be encouraged because not all information in the HRV signal is captured by traditional methods. The new technologies thus could provide after proper validation, additional physiological, and clinical meaning. Multidisciplinary dialogue and specialized courses in the combination of clinical cardiology and complex signal processing methods seem warranted for further advances in studies of cardiac oscillations and in the understanding normal and abnormal cardiac control processes. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. The Impact of Noise on the Reliability of Heart-Rate Variability and Complexity Analysis in Trauma Patients

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    endotracheal intubations, 30 transfusions, 18 tube thoracos- tomies, 9 cardiopulmonary resuscitations , 8 needle decompressions, 1 angio-embolization...monitoring in very low birth weight neonates : a randomized trial, J. Pediatr. 6 (2011) 900–906. [11] J.R. Moorman, J.B. Delos, A.A. Flower, H. Cao, B.P...Kovatchev, J.S. Richman, D.E. Lake, Cardiovascular oscillations at the bedside: early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis using heart rate characteristics

  15. Developing an instrument to measure heart failure disease management program intensity and complexity.

    PubMed

    Riegel, Barbara; Lee, Christopher S; Sochalski, Julie

    2010-05-01

    Comparing disease management programs and their effects is difficult because of wide variability in program intensity and complexity. The purpose of this effort was to develop an instrument that can be used to describe the intensity and complexity of heart failure (HF) disease management programs. Specific composition criteria were taken from the American Heart Association (AHA) taxonomy of disease management and hierarchically scored to allow users to describe the intensity and complexity of the domains and subdomains of HF disease management programs. The HF Disease Management Scoring Instrument (HF-DMSI) incorporates 6 of the 8 domains from the taxonomy: recipient, intervention content, delivery personnel, method of communication, intensity/complexity, and environment. The 3 intervention content subdomains (education/counseling, medication management, and peer support) are described separately. In this first test of the HF-DMSI, overall intensity (measured as duration) and complexity were rated using an ordinal scoring system. Possible scores reflect a clinical rationale and differ by category, with zero given only if the element could potentially be missing (eg, surveillance by remote monitoring). Content validity was evident as the instrument matches the existing AHA taxonomy. After revision and refinement, 2 authors obtained an inter-rater reliability intraclass correlation coefficient score of 0.918 (confidence interval, 0.880 to 0.944, P<0.001) in their rating of 12 studies. The areas with most variability among programs were delivery personnel and method of communication. The HF-DMSI is useful for describing the intensity and complexity of HF disease management programs.

  16. State Anxiety and Nonlinear Dynamics of Heart Rate Variability in Students.

    PubMed

    Dimitriev, Dimitriy A; Saperova, Elena V; Dimitriev, Aleksey D

    2016-01-01

    Clinical and experimental research studies have demonstrated that the emotional experience of anxiety impairs heart rate variability (HRV) in humans. The present study investigated whether changes in state anxiety (SA) can also modulate nonlinear dynamics of heart rate. A group of 96 students volunteered to participate in the study. For each student, two 5-minute recordings of beat intervals (RR) were performed: one during a rest period and one just before a university examination, which was assumed to be a real-life stressor. Nonlinear analysis of HRV was performed. The Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to assess the level of SA. Before adjusting for heart rate, a Wilcoxon matched pairs test showed significant decreases in Poincaré plot measures, entropy, largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE), and pointwise correlation dimension (PD2), and an increase in the short-term fractal-like scaling exponent of detrended fluctuation analysis (α1) during the exam session, compared with the rest period. A Pearson analysis indicated significant negative correlations between the dynamics of SA and Poincaré plot axes ratio (SD1/SD2), and between changes in SA and changes in entropy measures. A strong negative correlation was found between the dynamics of SA and LLE. A significant positive correlation was found between the dynamics of SA and α1. The decreases in Poincaré plot measures (SD1, complex correlation measure), entropy measures, and LLE were still significant after adjusting for heart rate. Corrected α1 was increased during the exam session. As before, the dynamics of adjusted LLE was significantly correlated with the dynamics of SA. The qualitative increase in SA during academic examination was related to the decrease in the complexity and size of the Poincaré plot through a reduction of both the interbeat interval and its variation.

  17. Autonomic reactivity during viewing of an unpleasant film.

    PubMed

    Baldaro, B; Mazzetti, M; Codispoti, M; Tuozzi, G; Bolzani, R; Trombini, G

    2001-12-01

    The effect of an aversive, high-arousing film on heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and electrogastrographic activity (EGG) was investigated. Previous studies have indicated a larger heart-rate deceleration for visual stimuli depicting surgery or blood compared to neutral content, and this phenomenon is similar to the bradycardia observed in animals in response to fear. The heart-rate deceleration is clearly parasympathetically driven, and it is considered a general index of attention. An accurate index of cardiac vagal tone can be obtained by means of quantification of the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. The relationship between cardiac vagal tone and EGG is complex, but animal research has shown that suppressing vagal activity dampens gastric motility. We have investigated whether a movie depicting surgery is associated with greater heart-rate deceleration, larger increase in respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and greater increase in EGG activity compared to a neutral movie. In addition, if both respiratory sinus arrhythmia and EGG are indices of vagal tone, a positive correlation between these physiological responses was expected. Analysis indicated an effect of the surgery movie on heart rate and respiratory sinus arrhythmia, but not on EGG activity. Moreover, the expected correlation was not found. Implications for future studies are discussed.

  18. Effects of guided breath exercise on complex behaviour of heart rate dynamics.

    PubMed

    Tavares, Bruna S; de Paula Vidigal, Giovanna; Garner, David M; Raimundo, Rodrigo D; de Abreu, Luiz Carlos; Valenti, Vitor E

    2017-11-01

    Cardiac autonomic regulation is influenced by changes in respiratory rate, which has been demonstrated by linear analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). Conversely, the complex behaviour is not well defined for HRV during this physiological state. In this sense, Higuchi Fractal Dimension is applied directly to the time series. It analyses the fractal dimension of discrete time sequences and is simpler and faster than correlation dimension and many other classical measures derived from chaos theory. We investigated chaotic behaviour of heart rate dynamics during guided breath exercises. We investigated 21 healthy male volunteers aged between 18 and 30 years. HRV was analysed 10 min before and 10 min during guided breath exercises. HRV was analysed in the time and frequency domain for linear analysis and through HFD for non-linear analysis. Linear analysis indicated that SDNN, pNN50, RMSSD, LF, HF and LF/HF increased during guided breath exercises. HFD analysis illustrated that between K max 20 to K max 120 intervals, was enhanced during guided breath exercises. Guided breath exercises acutely increased chaotic behaviour of HRV measured by HFD. © 2016 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Heart Rate Monitoring in Team Sports-A Conceptual Framework for Contextualizing Heart Rate Measures for Training and Recovery Prescription.

    PubMed

    Schneider, Christoph; Hanakam, Florian; Wiewelhove, Thimo; Döweling, Alexander; Kellmann, Michael; Meyer, Tim; Pfeiffer, Mark; Ferrauti, Alexander

    2018-01-01

    A comprehensive monitoring of fitness, fatigue, and performance is crucial for understanding an athlete's individual responses to training to optimize the scheduling of training and recovery strategies. Resting and exercise-related heart rate measures have received growing interest in recent decades and are considered potentially useful within multivariate response monitoring, as they provide non-invasive and time-efficient insights into the status of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and aerobic fitness. In team sports, the practical implementation of athlete monitoring systems poses a particular challenge due to the complex and multidimensional structure of game demands and player and team performance, as well as logistic reasons, such as the typically large number of players and busy training and competition schedules. In this regard, exercise-related heart rate measures are likely the most applicable markers, as they can be routinely assessed during warm-ups using short (3-5 min) submaximal exercise protocols for an entire squad with common chest strap-based team monitoring devices. However, a comprehensive and meaningful monitoring of the training process requires the accurate separation of various types of responses, such as strain, recovery, and adaptation, which may all affect heart rate measures. Therefore, additional information on the training context (such as the training phase, training load, and intensity distribution) combined with multivariate analysis, which includes markers of (perceived) wellness and fatigue, should be considered when interpreting changes in heart rate indices. The aim of this article is to outline current limitations of heart rate monitoring, discuss methodological considerations of univariate and multivariate approaches, illustrate the influence of different analytical concepts on assessing meaningful changes in heart rate responses, and provide case examples for contextualizing heart rate measures using simple heuristics. To overcome current knowledge deficits and methodological inconsistencies, future investigations should systematically evaluate the validity and usefulness of the various approaches available to guide and improve the implementation of decision-support systems in (team) sports practice.

  20. Heart Rate Monitoring in Team Sports—A Conceptual Framework for Contextualizing Heart Rate Measures for Training and Recovery Prescription

    PubMed Central

    Schneider, Christoph; Hanakam, Florian; Wiewelhove, Thimo; Döweling, Alexander; Kellmann, Michael; Meyer, Tim; Pfeiffer, Mark; Ferrauti, Alexander

    2018-01-01

    A comprehensive monitoring of fitness, fatigue, and performance is crucial for understanding an athlete's individual responses to training to optimize the scheduling of training and recovery strategies. Resting and exercise-related heart rate measures have received growing interest in recent decades and are considered potentially useful within multivariate response monitoring, as they provide non-invasive and time-efficient insights into the status of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and aerobic fitness. In team sports, the practical implementation of athlete monitoring systems poses a particular challenge due to the complex and multidimensional structure of game demands and player and team performance, as well as logistic reasons, such as the typically large number of players and busy training and competition schedules. In this regard, exercise-related heart rate measures are likely the most applicable markers, as they can be routinely assessed during warm-ups using short (3–5 min) submaximal exercise protocols for an entire squad with common chest strap-based team monitoring devices. However, a comprehensive and meaningful monitoring of the training process requires the accurate separation of various types of responses, such as strain, recovery, and adaptation, which may all affect heart rate measures. Therefore, additional information on the training context (such as the training phase, training load, and intensity distribution) combined with multivariate analysis, which includes markers of (perceived) wellness and fatigue, should be considered when interpreting changes in heart rate indices. The aim of this article is to outline current limitations of heart rate monitoring, discuss methodological considerations of univariate and multivariate approaches, illustrate the influence of different analytical concepts on assessing meaningful changes in heart rate responses, and provide case examples for contextualizing heart rate measures using simple heuristics. To overcome current knowledge deficits and methodological inconsistencies, future investigations should systematically evaluate the validity and usefulness of the various approaches available to guide and improve the implementation of decision-support systems in (team) sports practice. PMID:29904351

  1. Effect of Methamphetamine Dependence on Heart Rate Variability

    PubMed Central

    Henry, Brook L.; Minassian, Arpi; Perry, William

    2010-01-01

    Background Methamphetamine (METH) is an increasing popular and highly addictive stimulant associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, cardiovascular pathology, and neurotoxicity. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been used to assess autonomic function and predict mortality in cardiac disorders and drug intoxication, but has not been characterized in METH use. We recorded HRV in a sample of currently abstinent individuals with a history of METH dependence compared to age- and gender-matched drug-free comparison subjects. Method HRV was assessed using time domain, frequency domain, and nonlinear entropic analyses in 17 previously METH-dependent and 21 drug-free comparison individuals during a 5 minute rest period. Results The METH-dependent group demonstrated significant reduction in HRV, reduced parasympathetic activity, and diminished heartbeat complexity relative to comparison participants. More recent METH use was associated with increased sympathetic tone. Conclusion Chronic METH exposure may be associated with decreased HRV, impaired vagal function, and reduction in heart rate complexity as assessed by multiple methods of analysis. We discuss and review evidence that impaired HRV may be related to the cardiotoxic or neurotoxic effects of prolonged METH use. PMID:21182570

  2. Reduced heart rate variability during sleep in long-duration spaceflight.

    PubMed

    Xu, D; Shoemaker, J K; Blaber, A P; Arbeille, P; Fraser, K; Hughson, R L

    2013-07-15

    Limited data are available to describe the regulation of heart rate (HR) during sleep in spaceflight. Sleep provides a stable supine baseline during preflight Earth recordings for comparison of heart rate variability (HRV) over a wide range of frequencies using both linear, complexity, and fractal indicators. The current study investigated the effect of long-duration spaceflight on HR and HRV during sleep in seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station up to 6 mo. Measurements included electrocardiographic waveforms from Holter monitors and simultaneous movement records from accelerometers before, during, and after the flights. HR was unchanged inflight and elevated postflight [59.6 ± 8.9 beats per minute (bpm) compared with preflight 53.3 ± 7.3 bpm; P < 0.01]. Compared with preflight data, HRV indicators from both time domain and power spectral analysis methods were diminished inflight from ultralow to high frequencies and partially recovered to preflight levels after landing. During inflight and at postflight, complexity and fractal properties of HR were not different from preflight properties. Slow fluctuations (<0.04 Hz) in HR presented moderate correlations with movements during sleep, partially accounting for the reduction in HRV. In summary, substantial reduction in HRV was observed with linear, but not with complexity and fractal, methods of analysis. These results suggest that periodic elements that influence regulation of HR through reflex mechanisms are altered during sleep in spaceflight but that underlying system complexity and fractal dynamics were not altered.

  3. Management of heart failure in the new era: the role of scores.

    PubMed

    Mantegazza, Valentina; Badagliacca, Roberto; Nodari, Savina; Parati, Gianfranco; Lombardi, Carolina; Di Somma, Salvatore; Carluccio, Erberto; Dini, Frank Lloyd; Correale, Michele; Magrì, Damiano; Agostoni, Piergiuseppe

    2016-08-01

    Heart failure is a widespread syndrome involving several organs, still characterized by high mortality and morbidity, and whose clinical course is heterogeneous and hardly predictable.In this scenario, the assessment of heart failure prognosis represents a fundamental step in clinical practice. A single parameter is always unable to provide a very precise prognosis. Therefore, risk scores based on multiple parameters have been introduced, but their clinical utility is still modest. In this review, we evaluated several prognostic models for acute, right, chronic, and end-stage heart failure based on multiple parameters. In particular, for chronic heart failure we considered risk scores essentially based on clinical evaluation, comorbidities analysis, baroreflex sensitivity, heart rate variability, sleep disorders, laboratory tests, echocardiographic imaging, and cardiopulmonary exercise test parameters. What is at present established is that a single parameter is not sufficient for an accurate prediction of prognosis in heart failure because of the complex nature of the disease. However, none of the scoring systems available is widely used, being in some cases complex, not user-friendly, or based on expensive or not easily available parameters. We believe that multiparametric scores for risk assessment in heart failure are promising but their widespread use needs to be experienced.

  4. Integrated Central-Autonomic Multifractal Complexity in the Heart Rate Variability of Healthy Humans

    PubMed Central

    Lin, D. C.; Sharif, A.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose of Study: The aim of this study was to characterize the central-autonomic interaction underlying the multifractality in heart rate variability (HRV) of healthy humans. Materials and Methods: Eleven young healthy subjects participated in two separate ~40 min experimental sessions, one in supine (SUP) and one in, head-up-tilt (HUT), upright (UPR) body positions. Surface scalp electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) were collected and fractal correlation of brain and heart rate data was analyzed based on the idea of relative multifractality. The fractal correlation was further examined with the EEG, HRV spectral measures using linear regression of two variables and principal component analysis (PCA) to find clues for the physiological processing underlying the central influence in fractal HRV. Results: We report evidence of a central-autonomic fractal correlation (CAFC) where the HRV multifractal complexity varies significantly with the fractal correlation between the heart rate and brain data (P = 0.003). The linear regression shows significant correlation between CAFC measure and EEG Beta band spectral component (P = 0.01 for SUP and P = 0.002 for UPR positions). There is significant correlation between CAFC measure and HRV LF component in the SUP position (P = 0.04), whereas the correlation with the HRV HF component approaches significance (P = 0.07). The correlation between CAFC measure and HRV spectral measures in the UPR position is weak. The PCA results confirm these findings and further imply multiple physiological processes underlying CAFC, highlighting the importance of the EEG Alpha, Beta band, and the HRV LF, HF spectral measures in the supine position. Discussion and Conclusion: The findings of this work can be summarized into three points: (i) Similar fractal characteristics exist in the brain and heart rate fluctuation and the change toward stronger fractal correlation implies the change toward more complex HRV multifractality. (ii) CAFC is likely contributed by multiple physiological mechanisms, with its central elements mainly derived from the EEG Alpha, Beta band dynamics. (iii) The CAFC in SUP and UPR positions is qualitatively different, with a more predominant central influence in the fractal HRV of the UPR position. PMID:22403548

  5. Outcome of patients undergoing open heart surgery at the Uganda heart institute, Mulago hospital complex.

    PubMed

    Aliku, Twalib O; Lubega, Sulaiman; Lwabi, Peter; Oketcho, Michael; Omagino, John O; Mwambu, Tom

    2014-12-01

    Heart disease is a disabling condition and necessary surgical intervention is often lacking in many developing countries. Training of the superspecialties abroad is largely limited to observation with little or no opportunity for hands on experience. An approach in which open heart surgeries are conducted locally by visiting teams enabling skills transfer to the local team and helps build to build capacity has been adopted at the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI). We reviewed the progress of open heart surgery at the UHI and evaluated the postoperative outcomes and challenges faced in conducting open heart surgery in a developing country. Medical records of patients undergoing open heart surgery at the UHI from October 2007 to June 2012 were reviewed. A total of 124 patients underwent open heart surgery during the study period. The commonest conditions were: venticular septal defects (VSDs) 34.7% (43/124), Atrial septal defects (ASDs) 34.7% (43/124) and tetralogy of fallot (TOF) in 10.5% (13/124). Non governmental organizations (NGOs) funded 96.8% (120/124) of the operations, and in only 4 patients (3.2%) families paid for the surgeries. There was increasing complexity in cases operated upon from predominantly ASDs and VSDs at the beginning to more complex cases like TOFs and TAPVR. The local team independently operated 19 patients (15.3%). Postoperative morbidity was low with arrhythmias, left ventricular dysfunction and re-operations being the commonest seen. Post operative sepsis occurred in only 2 cases (1.6%). The overall mortality rate was 3.2. Open heart surgery though expensive is feasible in a developing country. With increased direct funding from governments and local charities to support open heart surgeries, more cardiac patients access surgical treatment locally.

  6. Ambulatory heart rate range predicts mode-specific mortality and hospitalisation in chronic heart failure

    PubMed Central

    Cubbon, Richard M; Ruff, Naomi; Groves, David; Eleuteri, Antonio; Denby, Christine; Kearney, Lorraine; Ali, Noman; Walker, Andrew M N; Jamil, Haqeel; Gierula, John; Gale, Chris P; Batin, Phillip D; Nolan, James; Shah, Ajay M; Fox, Keith A A; Sapsford, Robert J; Witte, Klaus K; Kearney, Mark T

    2016-01-01

    Objective We aimed to define the prognostic value of the heart rate range during a 24 h period in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods Prospective observational cohort study of 791 patients with CHF associated with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Mode-specific mortality and hospitalisation were linked with ambulatory heart rate range (AHRR; calculated as maximum minus minimum heart rate using 24 h Holter monitor data, including paced and non-sinus complexes) in univariate and multivariate analyses. Findings were then corroborated in a validation cohort of 408 patients with CHF with preserved or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Results After a mean 4.1 years of follow-up, increasing AHRR was associated with reduced risk of all-cause, sudden, non-cardiovascular and progressive heart failure death in univariate analyses. After accounting for characteristics that differed between groups above and below median AHRR using multivariate analysis, AHRR remained strongly associated with all-cause mortality (HR 0.991/bpm increase in AHRR (95% CI 0.999 to 0.982); p=0.046). AHRR was not associated with the risk of any non-elective hospitalisation, but was associated with heart-failure-related hospitalisation. AHRR was modestly associated with the SD of normal-to-normal beats (R2=0.2; p<0.001) and with peak exercise-test heart rate (R2=0.33; p<0.001). Analysis of the validation cohort revealed AHRR to be associated with all-cause and mode-specific death as described in the derivation cohort. Conclusions AHRR is a novel and readily available prognosticator in patients with CHF, which may reflect autonomic tone and exercise capacity. PMID:26674986

  7. QT dispersion and ventricular arrhythmias in children with primary mitral valve prolapse

    PubMed Central

    İmamoğlu, Ebru Yalın; Eroğlu, Ayşe Güler

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To investigate ventricular arrhythmias in children with primary mitral valve prolapse and to evaluate its relation with QT length, QT dispersion, autonomic function tests and heart rate variability measurements. Material and Methods: Fourty two children with mitral valve prolapse and 32 healthy children were enrolled into the study. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms, autonomic function tests, echocardiography and 24-hour rhythm Holter tests were performed. Electrocardiograms were magnified digitally. The QT length was corrected according to heart rate. The patients were grouped according to the number of premature ventricular contractions and presence of complex ventricular arhythmia in the 24-hour rhythm Holter monitor test. Heart rate variability measurements were calculated automatically from the 24-hour rhythm Holter monitor test. Orthostatic hypotension and resting heart rate were used as autonomic function tests. Results: The mean age was 13.9±3.3 years in the patient group and 14.6±3.1 years in the control group (p>0.05). Thirty four of the patients (81%) were female and eight (19%) were male. Twenty five of the control subjects (78%) were female and seven (22%) were male. The QT dispersion and heart rate corrected QT interval were found to be significantly increased in the children with primary mitral valve prolapse when compared with the control group (56±16 ms vs. 43±11 ms, p=0.001; 426±25 ms vs. 407±26 ms, p=0.002, respectively). In 24-hour rhythm Holter monitor tests, ventricular arrhythmias were found in 21 out of 42 patients (50%) and 6 out of 32 control subjects (18.8%) (p=0.006). QT dispersion was found to be significantly increased in patients with premature ventricular contractions ≥ 10/day and/or complex ventricular arrhythmias compared to the control group without ventricular premature beats (p=0.002). There was no significant difference in autonomic function tests and heart rate variability measurements between the patient and control groups. Conclusions: The noted increase in QT dispersion may be a useful indicator for the clinician in the evaluation of impending ventricular arrhythmias in children with primary mitral valve prolapse. PMID:27738397

  8. Electrocardiogram of Clinically Healthy Mithun (Bos frontalis): Variation among Strains

    PubMed Central

    Sanyal, Sagar; Das, Pradip Kumar; Ghosh, Probal Ranjan; Das, Kinsuk; Vupru, Kezha V.; Rajkhowa, Chandan; Mondal, Mohan

    2010-01-01

    A study was conducted to establish the normal electrocardiogram in four different genetic strains of mithun (Bos frontalis). Electrocardiography, cardiac electrical axis, heart rate, rectal temperature and respiration rate were recorded in a total of 32 adult male mithun of four strains (n = 8 each). It was found that the respiration and heart rates were higher (P < .05) in Manipur than other three strains. Amplitude (P < .05) and duration of P wave and QRS complex differed (P < .01) among the strains. Mizoram strain had the highest amplitude and duration of P wave and QRS complex. On the other hand, higher (P < .05) amplitude and duration of T wave were recorded in Arunachalee and Mizoram strains. The mean electrical axis of QRS complex that were recorded for Arunachalee and Manipur strains were similar to that reported for other bovine species; whereas the electrical axis of QRS for Nagamese and Mizoram strains were more close to feline and caprine species, respectively. In conclusion, electrocardiogram of mithun revealed that the amplitude and duration of P wave, QRS complex and T wave were different among four different genetic strains of mithun and the electrical axis of QRS complex for Nagamese and Mizoram mithuns are dissimilar to bovine species. PMID:20886013

  9. Effects of concurrent physical and cognitive demands on muscle activity and heart rate variability in a repetitive upper-extremity precision task.

    PubMed

    Srinivasan, Divya; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Hallman, David M; Samani, Afshin; Madeleine, Pascal; Lyskov, Eugene

    2016-01-01

    Most previous studies of concurrent physical and cognitive demands have addressed tasks of limited relevance to occupational work, and with dissociated physical and cognitive task components. This study investigated effects on muscle activity and heart rate variability of executing a repetitive occupational task with an added cognitive demand integral to correct task performance. Thirty-five healthy females performed 7.5 min of standardized repetitive pipetting work in a baseline condition and a concurrent cognitive condition involving a complex instruction for correct performance. Average levels and variabilities of electromyographic activities in the upper trapezius and extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscles were compared between these two conditions. Heart rate and heart rate variability were also assessed to measure autonomic nervous system activation. Subjects also rated perceived fatigue in the neck-shoulder region, as well as exertion. Concurrent cognitive demands increased trapezius muscle activity from 8.2% of maximum voluntary exertion (MVE) in baseline to 9.0% MVE (p = 0.0005), but did not significantly affect ECR muscle activity, heart rate, heart rate variability, perceived fatigue or exertion. Trapezius muscle activity increased by about 10%, without any accompanying cardiovascular response to indicate increased sympathetic activation. We suggest this slight increase in trapezius muscle activity to be due to changed muscle activation patterns within or among shoulder muscles. The results suggest that it may be possible to introduce modest cognitive demands necessary for correct performance in repetitive precision work without any major physiological effects, at least in the short term.

  10. Cardiorespiratory adaptation to breath-holding in air: Analysis via a cardiopulmonary simulation model.

    PubMed

    Albanese, Antonio; Limei Cheng; Ursino, Mauro; Chbat, Nicolas W

    2015-01-01

    Apnea via breath-holding (BH) in air induces cardiorespiratory adaptation that involves the activation of several reflex mechanisms and their complex interactions. Hence, the effects of BH in air on cardiorespiratory function can become hardly predictable and difficult to be interpreted. Particularly, the effect on heart rate is not yet completely understood because of the contradicting results of different physiological studies. In this paper we apply our previously developed cardiopulmonary model (CP Model) to a scenario of BH with a twofold intent: (1) further validating the CP Model via comparison against experimental data; (2) gaining insights into the physiological reasoning for such contradicting experimental results. Model predictions agreed with published experimental animal and human data and indicated that heart rate increases during BH in air. Changes in the balance between sympathetic and vagal effects on heart rate within the model proved to be effective in inverting directions of the heart rate changes during BH. Hence, the model suggests that intra-subject differences in such sympatho-vagal balance may be one of the reasons for the contradicting experimental results.

  11. Diurnal changes in the power spectral characteristics of eye movements and heart rate variability in the human fetus at term.

    PubMed

    Morokuma, S; Horimoto, N; Nakano, H

    2001-08-01

    It is well known that 1/f characteristics in power spectral patterns exist in various biological factors including heart rate variability. In the present study, we tried to elucidate the diurnal variation in spectral properties of eye movement and heart rate variability in the human fetus at term, via continuous 24-h observation of both these parameters. Studied were five uncomplicated fetuses at term. We observed eye movement and fetal heart rate (FHR) with real-time ultrasound and Doppler cardiotocograph, respectively, and analyzed the diurnal change in spectral properties, using the maximum entropy method. In four of five cases, the slope values of power spectra for both eye movement frequency and FHR, ranging approximately between 0.5 and 1.8, indicated diurnal variation, where the slopes tended to have high values during the day and low values at night. These findings suggest that, in the human fetus at term, eye movement and FHR are under the control of a common central mechanism, and this center changes its complexity as seen through diurnal rhythm.

  12. Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring During Surgical Correction of Spontaneous Pneumothorax During Pregnancy: Lessons in In Utero Resuscitation.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Bailey; Burt, Bryan; Baker, Byron; Clark, Steven L; Belfort, Michael; Gandhi, Manisha

    2016-01-01

    Spontaneous pneumothorax during pregnancy has potentially serious implications for the mother and fetus. When surgical correction is required, complex maternal physiologic alterations may significantly affect fetal well-being. A woman underwent thoracoscopic lung resection and pleurodesis at 29 weeks of gestation. At various points during the procedure, maternal hemodynamic and respiratory consequences of anesthetic and surgical management resulted in severe fetal heart rate (FHR) decelerations and bradycardia. In each instance, physiologic manipulations based on an understanding of the likely cause of fetal hypoxia allowed correction of the FHR abnormalities without delivery. Nonsurgical perinatal intervention based on FHR monitoring and analysis of the likely pathophysiologic abnormalities underlying fetal decelerations may allow the gravid woman to undergo complex procedures and continue the pregnancy.

  13. Double symbolic joint entropy in nonlinear dynamic complexity analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Wenpo; Wang, Jun

    2017-07-01

    Symbolizations, the base of symbolic dynamic analysis, are classified as global static and local dynamic approaches which are combined by joint entropy in our works for nonlinear dynamic complexity analysis. Two global static methods, symbolic transformations of Wessel N. symbolic entropy and base-scale entropy, and two local ones, namely symbolizations of permutation and differential entropy, constitute four double symbolic joint entropies that have accurate complexity detections in chaotic models, logistic and Henon map series. In nonlinear dynamical analysis of different kinds of heart rate variability, heartbeats of healthy young have higher complexity than those of the healthy elderly, and congestive heart failure (CHF) patients are lowest in heartbeats' joint entropy values. Each individual symbolic entropy is improved by double symbolic joint entropy among which the combination of base-scale and differential symbolizations have best complexity analysis. Test results prove that double symbolic joint entropy is feasible in nonlinear dynamic complexity analysis.

  14. Synchrosqueezing an effective method for analyzing Doppler radar physiological signals.

    PubMed

    Yavari, Ehsan; Rahman, Ashikur; Jia Xu; Mandic, Danilo P; Boric-Lubecke, Olga

    2016-08-01

    Doppler radar can monitor vital sign wirelessly. Respiratory and heart rate have time-varying behavior. Capturing the rate variability provides crucial physiological information. However, the common time-frequency methods fail to detect key information. We investigate Synchrosqueezing method to extract oscillatory components of the signal with time varying spectrum. Simulation and experimental result shows the potential of the proposed method for analyzing signals with complex time-frequency behavior like physiological signals. Respiration and heart signals and their components are extracted with higher resolution and without any pre-filtering and signal conditioning.

  15. Heart rate autonomic regulation system at rest and during paced breathing among patients with CRPS as compared to age-matched healthy controls.

    PubMed

    Bartur, Gadi; Vatine, Jean-Jacques; Raphaely-Beer, Noa; Peleg, Sara; Katz-Leurer, Michal

    2014-09-01

    The objective of this study is to assess the autonomic nerve heart rate regulation system at rest and its immediate response to paced breathing among patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) as compared with age-matched healthy controls. Quasiexperimental. Outpatient clinic. Ten patients with CRPS and 10 age- and sex-matched controls. Participants underwent Holter ECG (NorthEast Monitoring, Inc., Maynard, MA, USA) recording during rest and biofeedback-paced breathing session. Heart rate variability (HRV), time, and frequency measures were assessed. HRV and time domain values were significantly lower at rest among patients with CRPS as compared with controls. A significant association was noted between pain rank and HRV frequency measures at rest and during paced breathing; although both groups reduced breathing rate significantly during paced breathing, HRV time domain parameters increased only among the control group. The increased heart rate and decreased HRV at rest in patients with CRPS suggest a general autonomic imbalance. The inability of the patients to increase HRV time domain values during paced breathing may suggest that these patients have sustained stress response with minimal changeability in response to slow-paced breathing stimuli. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Loan applications in adult patients with congenital heart disease: a French study.

    PubMed

    Ladouceur, Magalie; Dugardin, Bertrand; Gourdin, Stéphanie; Sidi, Daniel; Bonnet, Damien; Iserin, Laurence

    2011-01-01

    Improvements in the treatment of children with congenital heart disease have led to most of these patients reaching adulthood. Despite the increase in lifespan, very little is known about their quality of life - in particular, their ability to obtain a mortgage or consumer loan. To investigate the outcome of mortgage and loan applications made by adults with differential severities of congenital heart disease. Four hundred and seventy-six patients were invited to participate in a questionnaire-based interview by phone. Of these patients, one hundred and forty-two responded. Respondents were classified into three categories ('significant', 'complex' and 'mild') based on congenital heart disease severity according to the Bethesda conference. Ninety patients (64%) had applied for loans; 17 (16.5%) did not report their heart disease to the insurance company, 13 were refused insurance and 39 were asked to pay surplus fees. The imposed fees concerned patients classified in the 'significant' and 'complex' groups (P<0.0001 and P<0.003, respectively, compared with those classified in the 'mild' group). Age, sex, other diseases, cardiovascular risk factors and duration of the loan had no influence on loan application outcomes. Adults with congenital heart disease are considerably more likely to have difficulty obtaining a mortgage or loan, independent of their congenital heart disease severity. Moreover, despite an increased obtainment of a loan in patients classified as 'mild', the refusal rates were identical for patients classified as having 'significant' or 'complex' congenital heart disease, although their prognosis is different. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. State Anxiety and Nonlinear Dynamics of Heart Rate Variability in Students

    PubMed Central

    Dimitriev, Aleksey D.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives Clinical and experimental research studies have demonstrated that the emotional experience of anxiety impairs heart rate variability (HRV) in humans. The present study investigated whether changes in state anxiety (SA) can also modulate nonlinear dynamics of heart rate. Methods A group of 96 students volunteered to participate in the study. For each student, two 5-minute recordings of beat intervals (RR) were performed: one during a rest period and one just before a university examination, which was assumed to be a real-life stressor. Nonlinear analysis of HRV was performed. The Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to assess the level of SA. Results Before adjusting for heart rate, a Wilcoxon matched pairs test showed significant decreases in Poincaré plot measures, entropy, largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE), and pointwise correlation dimension (PD2), and an increase in the short-term fractal-like scaling exponent of detrended fluctuation analysis (α1) during the exam session, compared with the rest period. A Pearson analysis indicated significant negative correlations between the dynamics of SA and Poincaré plot axes ratio (SD1/SD2), and between changes in SA and changes in entropy measures. A strong negative correlation was found between the dynamics of SA and LLE. A significant positive correlation was found between the dynamics of SA and α1. The decreases in Poincaré plot measures (SD1, complex correlation measure), entropy measures, and LLE were still significant after adjusting for heart rate. Corrected α1 was increased during the exam session. As before, the dynamics of adjusted LLE was significantly correlated with the dynamics of SA. Conclusions The qualitative increase in SA during academic examination was related to the decrease in the complexity and size of the Poincaré plot through a reduction of both the interbeat interval and its variation. PMID:26807793

  18. Aging and the complexity of cardiovascular dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaplan, D. T.; Furman, M. I.; Pincus, S. M.; Ryan, S. M.; Lipsitz, L. A.; Goldberger, A. L.

    1991-01-01

    Biomedical signals often vary in a complex and irregular manner. Analysis of variability in such signals generally does not address directly their complexity, and so may miss potentially useful information. We analyze the complexity of heart rate and beat-to-beat blood pressure using two methods motivated by nonlinear dynamics (chaos theory). A comparison of a group of healthy elderly subjects with healthy young adults indicates that the complexity of cardiovascular dynamics is reduced with aging. This suggests that complexity of variability may be a useful physiological marker.

  19. An Overview of Heart Rate Variability Metrics and Norms

    PubMed Central

    Shaffer, Fred; Ginsberg, J. P.

    2017-01-01

    Healthy biological systems exhibit complex patterns of variability that can be described by mathematical chaos. Heart rate variability (HRV) consists of changes in the time intervals between consecutive heartbeats called interbeat intervals (IBIs). A healthy heart is not a metronome. The oscillations of a healthy heart are complex and constantly changing, which allow the cardiovascular system to rapidly adjust to sudden physical and psychological challenges to homeostasis. This article briefly reviews current perspectives on the mechanisms that generate 24 h, short-term (~5 min), and ultra-short-term (<5 min) HRV, the importance of HRV, and its implications for health and performance. The authors provide an overview of widely-used HRV time-domain, frequency-domain, and non-linear metrics. Time-domain indices quantify the amount of HRV observed during monitoring periods that may range from ~2 min to 24 h. Frequency-domain values calculate the absolute or relative amount of signal energy within component bands. Non-linear measurements quantify the unpredictability and complexity of a series of IBIs. The authors survey published normative values for clinical, healthy, and optimal performance populations. They stress the importance of measurement context, including recording period length, subject age, and sex, on baseline HRV values. They caution that 24 h, short-term, and ultra-short-term normative values are not interchangeable. They encourage professionals to supplement published norms with findings from their own specialized populations. Finally, the authors provide an overview of HRV assessment strategies for clinical and optimal performance interventions. PMID:29034226

  20. A5 region modulation of the cardiorespiratory responses evoked from parabrachial cell bodies in the anaesthetised rat.

    PubMed

    Dawid Milner, M S; Lara, J P; López de Miguel, M P; López-González, M V; Spyer, K M; González-Barón, S

    2003-08-22

    We have examined the importance of the A5 region modulating cardiorespiratory responses evoked from the parabrachial complex (PB) in spontaneously breathing rats. Cardiorespiratory changes were analyzed in response to electrical stimulation and glutamate microinjections into the PB (10-20 nl, 1-2 nmol) before and after ipsilateral microinjection of muscimol (50 nl, 0.25 nmol) or lidocaine (50 nl, 0.5 nmol) within the A5 region. Stimulation of medial parabrachial and Kölliker-Fuse nuclei (mPB-KF) evoked a decrease in respiratory rate (P<0.001) with a rise in blood pressure (P<0.001) and heart rate (P<0.05). After muscimol or lidocaine microinjections within the A5 region, the pressor and heart rate responses to mPB-KF stimulation were reduced (P<0.05, both cases). Muscimol within the A5 region altered the respiratory response to glutamate stimulation of mPB-KF, evoking an increase in respiratory rate (P<0.05). Lidocaine abolished the respiratory response to mPB-KF stimulation. Stimulation of the lateral parabrachial nuclei (lPB) caused an increase in respiratory rate (P<0.001) with a rise in blood pressure (P<0.001) and heart rate (P<0.05). Muscimol or lidocaine microinjections within A5 region decreased heart rate (P<0.05) and pressor responses (P<0.05) evoked from lPB. The increase of respiratory rate persisted unchanged. To confirm functional interactions between A5 and PB, extracellular recordings of putative A5 neurones were obtained during PB stimulation. Eighty-three A5 cells were recorded, 35 were activated from the mPB-KF (42%). The results indicate that neurones of the A5 region participate in the cardiorespiratory response evoked from the different regions of the PB complex. The possible mechanisms involved in these interactions are discussed.

  1. Mutual information and phase dependencies: measures of reduced nonlinear cardiorespiratory interactions after myocardial infarction.

    PubMed

    Hoyer, Dirk; Leder, Uwe; Hoyer, Heike; Pompe, Bernd; Sommer, Michael; Zwiener, Ulrich

    2002-01-01

    The heart rate variability (HRV) is related to several mechanisms of the complex autonomic functioning such as respiratory heart rate modulation and phase dependencies between heart beat cycles and breathing cycles. The underlying processes are basically nonlinear. In order to understand and quantitatively assess those physiological interactions an adequate coupling analysis is necessary. We hypothesized that nonlinear measures of HRV and cardiorespiratory interdependencies are superior to the standard HRV measures in classifying patients after acute myocardial infarction. We introduced mutual information measures which provide access to nonlinear interdependencies as counterpart to the classically linear correlation analysis. The nonlinear statistical autodependencies of HRV were quantified by auto mutual information, the respiratory heart rate modulation by cardiorespiratory cross mutual information, respectively. The phase interdependencies between heart beat cycles and breathing cycles were assessed basing on the histograms of the frequency ratios of the instantaneous heart beat and respiratory cycles. Furthermore, the relative duration of phase synchronized intervals was acquired. We investigated 39 patients after acute myocardial infarction versus 24 controls. The discrimination of these groups was improved by cardiorespiratory cross mutual information measures and phase interdependencies measures in comparison to the linear standard HRV measures. This result was statistically confirmed by means of logistic regression models of particular variable subsets and their receiver operating characteristics.

  2. A healthy heart is not a metronome: an integrative review of the heart's anatomy and heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Shaffer, Fred; McCraty, Rollin; Zerr, Christopher L

    2014-01-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV), the change in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats, is an emergent property of interdependent regulatory systems that operate on different time scales to adapt to challenges and achieve optimal performance. This article briefly reviews neural regulation of the heart, and its basic anatomy, the cardiac cycle, and the sinoatrial and atrioventricular pacemakers. The cardiovascular regulation center in the medulla integrates sensory information and input from higher brain centers, and afferent cardiovascular system inputs to adjust heart rate and blood pressure via sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. This article reviews sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart, and examines the interpretation of HRV and the association between reduced HRV, risk of disease and mortality, and the loss of regulatory capacity. This article also discusses the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the heart-brain connection, through which afferent information can influence activity in the subcortical and frontocortical areas, and motor cortex. It also considers new perspectives on the putative underlying physiological mechanisms and properties of the ultra-low-frequency (ULF), very-low-frequency (VLF), low-frequency (LF), and high-frequency (HF) bands. Additionally, it reviews the most common time and frequency domain measurements as well as standardized data collection protocols. In its final section, this article integrates Porges' polyvagal theory, Thayer and colleagues' neurovisceral integration model, Lehrer et al.'s resonance frequency model, and the Institute of HeartMath's coherence model. The authors conclude that a coherent heart is not a metronome because its rhythms are characterized by both complexity and stability over longer time scales. Future research should expand understanding of how the heart and its intrinsic nervous system influence the brain.

  3. A healthy heart is not a metronome: an integrative review of the heart's anatomy and heart rate variability

    PubMed Central

    Shaffer, Fred; McCraty, Rollin; Zerr, Christopher L.

    2014-01-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV), the change in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats, is an emergent property of interdependent regulatory systems that operate on different time scales to adapt to challenges and achieve optimal performance. This article briefly reviews neural regulation of the heart, and its basic anatomy, the cardiac cycle, and the sinoatrial and atrioventricular pacemakers. The cardiovascular regulation center in the medulla integrates sensory information and input from higher brain centers, and afferent cardiovascular system inputs to adjust heart rate and blood pressure via sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. This article reviews sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart, and examines the interpretation of HRV and the association between reduced HRV, risk of disease and mortality, and the loss of regulatory capacity. This article also discusses the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the heart-brain connection, through which afferent information can influence activity in the subcortical and frontocortical areas, and motor cortex. It also considers new perspectives on the putative underlying physiological mechanisms and properties of the ultra-low-frequency (ULF), very-low-frequency (VLF), low-frequency (LF), and high-frequency (HF) bands. Additionally, it reviews the most common time and frequency domain measurements as well as standardized data collection protocols. In its final section, this article integrates Porges' polyvagal theory, Thayer and colleagues' neurovisceral integration model, Lehrer et al.'s resonance frequency model, and the Institute of HeartMath's coherence model. The authors conclude that a coherent heart is not a metronome because its rhythms are characterized by both complexity and stability over longer time scales. Future research should expand understanding of how the heart and its intrinsic nervous system influence the brain. PMID:25324790

  4. Ambulatory heart rate range predicts mode-specific mortality and hospitalisation in chronic heart failure.

    PubMed

    Cubbon, Richard M; Ruff, Naomi; Groves, David; Eleuteri, Antonio; Denby, Christine; Kearney, Lorraine; Ali, Noman; Walker, Andrew M N; Jamil, Haqeel; Gierula, John; Gale, Chris P; Batin, Phillip D; Nolan, James; Shah, Ajay M; Fox, Keith A A; Sapsford, Robert J; Witte, Klaus K; Kearney, Mark T

    2016-02-01

    We aimed to define the prognostic value of the heart rate range during a 24 h period in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Prospective observational cohort study of 791 patients with CHF associated with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Mode-specific mortality and hospitalisation were linked with ambulatory heart rate range (AHRR; calculated as maximum minus minimum heart rate using 24 h Holter monitor data, including paced and non-sinus complexes) in univariate and multivariate analyses. Findings were then corroborated in a validation cohort of 408 patients with CHF with preserved or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. After a mean 4.1 years of follow-up, increasing AHRR was associated with reduced risk of all-cause, sudden, non-cardiovascular and progressive heart failure death in univariate analyses. After accounting for characteristics that differed between groups above and below median AHRR using multivariate analysis, AHRR remained strongly associated with all-cause mortality (HR 0.991/bpm increase in AHRR (95% CI 0.999 to 0.982); p=0.046). AHRR was not associated with the risk of any non-elective hospitalisation, but was associated with heart-failure-related hospitalisation. AHRR was modestly associated with the SD of normal-to-normal beats (R(2)=0.2; p<0.001) and with peak exercise-test heart rate (R(2)=0.33; p<0.001). Analysis of the validation cohort revealed AHRR to be associated with all-cause and mode-specific death as described in the derivation cohort. AHRR is a novel and readily available prognosticator in patients with CHF, which may reflect autonomic tone and exercise capacity. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  5. Heart rate complexity: A novel approach to assessing cardiac stress reactivity.

    PubMed

    Brindle, Ryan C; Ginty, Annie T; Phillips, Anna C; Fisher, James P; McIntyre, David; Carroll, Douglas

    2016-04-01

    Correlation dimension (D2), a measure of heart rate (HR) complexity, has been shown to decrease in response to acute mental stress and relate to adverse cardiovascular health. However, the relationship between stress-induced changes in D2 and HR has yet to be established. The present studies aimed to assess this relationship systematically while controlling for changes in respiration and autonomic activity. In Study 1 (N = 25) D2 decreased during stress and predicted HR reactivity even after adjusting for changes in respiration rate, and cardiac vagal tone. This result was replicated in Study 2 (N = 162) and extended by including a measure of cardiac sympathetic activity; correlation dimension remained an independent predictor of HR reactivity in a hierarchical linear model containing measures of cardiac parasympathetic and sympathetic activity and their interaction. These results suggest that correlation dimension may provide additional information regarding cardiac stress reactivity above that provided by traditional measures of cardiac autonomic function. © 2015 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  6. Energy expenditure in frontotemporal dementia: a behavioural and imaging study

    PubMed Central

    Ahmed, Rebekah M; Landin-Romero, Ramon; Collet, Tinh-Hai; van der Klaauw, Agatha A; Devenney, Emma; Henning, Elana; Kiernan, Matthew C; Piguet, Olivier; Farooqi, I Sadaf; Hodges, John R

    2017-01-01

    Abstract See Finger (doi:10.1093/aww312) for a scientific commentary on this article. Abnormal eating behaviour and metabolic parameters including insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and body mass index are increasingly recognized as important components of neurodegenerative disease and may contribute to survival. It has previously been established that behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia is associated with abnormal eating behaviour characterized by increased sweet preference. In this study, it was hypothesized that behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia might also be associated with altered energy expenditure. A cohort of 19 patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, 13 with Alzheimer’s disease and 16 (age- and sex-matched) healthy control subjects were studied using Actiheart devices (CamNtech) to assess resting and stressed heart rate. Actiheart devices were fitted for 7 days to measure sleeping heart rate, activity levels, and resting, active and total energy expenditure. Using high resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging the neural correlates of increased resting heart rate were investigated including cortical thickness and region of interest analyses. In behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, resting (P = 0.001), stressed (P = 0.037) and sleeping heart rate (P = 0.038) were increased compared to control subjects, and resting heart rate (P = 0.020) compared to Alzheimer disease patients. Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia was associated with decreased activity levels compared to controls (P = 0.002) and increased resting energy expenditure (P = 0.045) and total energy expenditure (P = 0.035). Increased resting heart rate correlated with behavioural (Cambridge Behavioural Inventory) and cognitive measures (Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination). Increased resting heart rate in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia correlated with atrophy involving the mesial temporal cortex, insula, and amygdala, regions previously suggested to be involved exclusively in social and emotion processing in frontotemporal dementia. These neural correlates overlap the network involved in eating behaviour in frontotemporal dementia, suggesting a complex interaction between eating behaviour, autonomic function and energy homeostasis. As such the present study suggests that increased heart rate and autonomic changes are prevalent in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, and are associated with changes in energy expenditure. An understanding of these changes and neural correlates may have potential relevance to disease progression and prognosis. PMID:27789521

  7. A holistic approach to managing a patient with heart failure.

    PubMed

    Duncan, Alison; Cunnington, Colin

    2013-03-01

    Despite varied and complex therapeutic strategies for managing patients with heart failure, the prognosis may remain poor in certain groups. Recognition that patients with heart failure frequently require input from many care groups formed the basis of The British Society of Heart Failure Annual Autumn Meeting in London (UK), in November 2012, entitled: 'Heart failure: a multidisciplinary approach'. Experts in cardiology, cardiac surgery, general practice, care of the elderly, palliative care and cardiac imaging shared their knowledge and expertise. The 2-day symposium was attended by over 500 participants from the UK, Europe and North America, and hosted physicians, nurses, scientists, trainees and representatives from the industry, as well as patient and community groups. The symposium, accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Nursing, focused on the multidisciplinary approach to heart failure, in particular, current therapeutic advances, cardiac remodeling, palliative care, atrial fibrillation, heart rate-lowering therapies, management of acute heart failure and the management of patients with mitral regurgitation and heart failure.

  8. Universal characteristics of evolution and development are inherent in fetal autonomic brain maturation.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Alexander; Schukat-Talamazzini, Ernst G; Zöllkau, Janine; Pytlik, Adelina; Leibl, Sophia; Kumm, Kathrin; Bode, Franziska; Kynass, Isabelle; Witte, Otto W; Schleussner, Ekkehard; Schneider, Uwe; Hoyer, Dirk

    2018-07-01

    Adverse prenatal environmental influences to the developing fetus are associated with mental and cardiovascular disease in later life. Universal developmental characteristics such as self-organization, pattern formation, and adaptation in the growing information processing system have not yet been sufficiently analyzed with respect to description of normal fetal development and identification of developmental disturbances. Fetal heart rate patterns are the only non-invasive order parameter of the developing autonomic brain available with respect to the developing complex organ system. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether universal indices, known from evolution and phylogeny, describe the ontogenetic fetal development from 20 weeks of gestation onwards. By means of a 10-fold cross-validated data-driven multivariate regression modeling procedure, relevant indices of heart rate variability (HRV) were explored using 552 fetal heart rate recordings, each lasting over 30 min. We found that models which included HRV indices of increasing fluctuation amplitude, complexity and fractal long-range dependencies largely estimated the maturation age (coefficients of determination 0.61-0.66). Consideration of these characteristics in prenatal care may not only have implications for early identification of developmental disturbances, but also for the development of system-theory-based therapeutic strategies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Multi-complexity measures of heart rate variability and the effect of vasopressor titration: a prospective cohort study of patients with septic shock.

    PubMed

    Brown, Samuel M; Sorensen, Jeffrey; Lanspa, Michael J; Rondina, Matthew T; Grissom, Colin K; Shahul, Sajid; Mathews, V J

    2016-10-10

    Septic shock is a common and often devastating syndrome marked by severe cardiovascular dysfunction commonly managed with vasopressors. Whether markers of heart rate complexity before vasopressor up-titration could be used to predict success of the up-titration is not known. We studied patients with septic shock requiring vasopressor, newly admitted to the intensive care unit. We measured the complexity of heart rate variability (using the ratio of fractal exponents from detrended fluctuation analysis) in the 5 min before all vasopressor up-titrations in the first 24 h of an intensive care unit (ICU) admission. A successful up-titration was defined as one that did not require further up-titration (or decrease in mean arterial pressure) for 60 min. We studied 95 patients with septic shock, with a median APACHE II of 27 (IQR: 20-37). The median number of up-titrations, normalized to 24 h, was 12.2 (IQR: 8-17) with a maximum of 49. Of the up-titrations, the median proportion of successful interventions was 0.28 (IQR: 0.12-0.42). The median of mean arterial pressure (MAP) at the time of a vasopressor up-titration was 66 mmHg; the average infusion rate of norepinephrine at the time of an up-titration was 0.11 mcg/kg/min. The ratio of fractal exponents was not associated with successful up-titration on univariate or multivariate regression. On exploratory secondary analyses, however, the long-term fractal exponent was associated (p = 0.003) with success of up-titration. Independent of heart rate variability, MAP was associated (p < 0.001) with success of vasopressor up-titration, while neither Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) nor Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score was associated with vasopressor titration. Only a third of vasopressor up-titrations were successful among patients with septic shock. MAP and the long-term fractal exponent were associated with success of up-titration. These two, complementary variables may be important to the development of rational vasopressor titration protocols.

  10. Effects of stress on heart rate complexity--a comparison between short-term and chronic stress.

    PubMed

    Schubert, C; Lambertz, M; Nelesen, R A; Bardwell, W; Choi, J-B; Dimsdale, J E

    2009-03-01

    This study examined chronic and short-term stress effects on heart rate variability (HRV), comparing time, frequency and phase domain (complexity) measures in 50 healthy adults. The hassles frequency subscale of the combined hassles and uplifts scale (CHUS) was used to measure chronic stress. Short-term stressor reactivity was assessed with a speech task. HRV measures were determined via surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Because respiration rate decreased during the speech task (p<.001), this study assessed the influence of respiration rate changes on the effects of interest. A series of repeated-measures analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) with Bonferroni adjustment revealed that short-term stress decreased HR D2 (calculated via the pointwise correlation dimension PD2) (p<.001), but increased HR mean (p<.001), standard deviation of R-R (SDRR) intervals (p<.001), low (LF) (p<.001) and high frequency band power (HF) (p=.009). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and LF/HF ratio did not change under short-term stress. Partial correlation adjusting for respiration rate showed that HR D2 was associated with chronic stress (r=-.35, p=.019). Differential effects of chronic and short-term stress were observed on several HRV measures. HR D2 decreased under both stress conditions reflecting lowered functionality of the cardiac pacemaker. The results confirm the importance of complexity metrics in modern stress research on HRV.

  11. Hypoxic Challenge Testing (Fitness to Fly) in children with complex congenital heart disease.

    PubMed

    Naqvi, Nitha; Doughty, Victoria L; Starling, Luke; Franklin, Rodney C; Ward, Simon; Daubeney, Piers E F; Balfour-Lynn, Ian M

    2018-02-14

    Commercial airplanes fly with an equivalent cabin fraction of inspired oxygen of 0.15, leading to reduced oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) in passengers. How this affects children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) is unknown. We conducted Hypoxic Challenge Testing (HCT) to assess need for inflight supplemental oxygen. Children aged <16 years had a standard HCT. They were grouped as (A) normal versus abnormal baseline SpO 2 (≥95% vs <95%) and (B) absence versus presence of an actual/potential right-to-left (R-L) shunt. We measured SpO 2 , heart rate, QT interval corrected for heart rate and partial pressure of carbon dioxide measured transcutaneously (PtcCO 2 ). A test failed when children with (1) normal baseline SpO 2 desaturated to 85%, (2) baseline SpO 2 85%-94% desaturated by 15% of baseline; and (3) baseline SpO 2 75%-84% desaturated to 70%. There were 68 children, mean age 3.3 years (range 10 weeks-14.5 years). Children with normal (n=36) baseline SpO 2 desaturated from median 99% to 91%, P<0.0001, and 3/36 (8%) failed the test. Those with abnormal baseline SpO 2 (n=32) desaturated from median 84% to 76%, P<0.0001, and 5/32 (16%) failed (no significant difference between groups). Children with no R-L shunt (n=25) desaturated from median 99% to 93%, P<0.0001, but 0/25 failed. Those with an actual/potential R-L shunt (n=43) desaturated from median 87% to 78%, P<0.0001, and 8/43 (19%) failed (difference between groups P<0.02). PtcCO 2 , heart rate and QT interval corrected for heart rate were unaffected by the hypoxic state. This is the first evidence to help guide which children with CHD need a preflight HCT. We suggest all children with an actual or potential R-L shunt should be tested. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  12. Linear and nonlinear features of fetal heart rate on the assessment of fetal development in the course of pregnancy and the impact of fetal gender.

    PubMed

    Spyridou, K; Chouvarda, I; Hadjileontiadis, L; Maglaveras, N

    2018-01-30

    This work aims to investigate the impact of gestational age and fetal gender on fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings. Different linear and nonlinear parameters indicating correlation or complexity were used to study the influence of fetal age and gender on FHR tracings. The signals were recorded from 99 normal pregnant women in a singleton pregnancy at gestational ages from 28 to 40 weeks, before the onset of labor. There were 56 female fetuses and 43 male. Analysis of FHR shows that the means as well as measures of irregularity of FHR, such as approximate entropy and algorithmic complexity, decrease as gestation progresses. There were also indications that mutual information and multiscale entropy were lower in male fetuses in early pregnancy. Fetal age and gender seem to influence FHR tracings. Taking this into consideration would improve the interpretation of FHR monitoring.

  13. Determination of heart rate variability with an electronic stethoscope.

    PubMed

    Kamran, Haroon; Naggar, Isaac; Oniyuke, Francisca; Palomeque, Mercy; Chokshi, Priya; Salciccioli, Louis; Stewart, Mark; Lazar, Jason M

    2013-02-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used to characterize cardiac autonomic function by measuring beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate. Decreased HRV has been found predictive of worse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. HRV is determined from time intervals between QRS complexes recorded by electrocardiography (ECG) for several minutes to 24 h. Although cardiac auscultation with a stethoscope is performed routinely on patients, the human ear cannot detect heart sound time intervals. The electronic stethoscope digitally processes heart sounds, from which cardiac time intervals can be obtained. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of obtaining HRV from electronically recorded heart sounds. We prospectively studied 50 subjects with and without CV risk factors/disease and simultaneously recorded single lead ECG and heart sounds for 2 min. Time and frequency measures of HRV were calculated from R-R and S1-S1 intervals and were compared using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). The majority of the indices were strongly correlated (ICC 0.73-1.0), while the remaining indices were moderately correlated (ICC 0.56-0.63). In conclusion, we found HRV measures determined from S1-S1 are in agreement with those determined by single lead ECG, and we demonstrate and discuss differences in the measures in detail. In addition to characterizing cardiac murmurs and time intervals, the electronic stethoscope holds promise as a convenient low-cost tool to determine HRV in the hospital and outpatient settings as a practical extension of the physical examination.

  14. The Total Artificial Heart in End-Stage Congenital Heart Disease.

    PubMed

    Villa, Chet R; Morales, David L S

    2017-01-01

    The development of durable ventricular assist devices (VADs) has improved mortality rates and quality of life in patients with end stage heart failure. While the use of VADs has increased dramatically in recent years, there is limited experience with VAD implantation in patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), despite the fact that the number of patients with end stage CHD has grown due to improvements in surgical and medical care. VAD use has been limited in patients with CHD and end stage heart failure due to anatomic (systemic right ventricle, single ventricle, surgically altered anatomy, valve dysfunction, etc.) and physiologic constraints (diastolic dysfunction). The total artificial heart (TAH), which has right and left sided pumps that can be arranged in a variety of orientations, can accommodate the anatomic variation present in CHD patients. This review provides an overview of the potential use of the TAH in patients with CHD.

  15. The Total Artificial Heart in End-Stage Congenital Heart Disease

    PubMed Central

    Villa, Chet R.; Morales, David L. S.

    2017-01-01

    The development of durable ventricular assist devices (VADs) has improved mortality rates and quality of life in patients with end stage heart failure. While the use of VADs has increased dramatically in recent years, there is limited experience with VAD implantation in patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), despite the fact that the number of patients with end stage CHD has grown due to improvements in surgical and medical care. VAD use has been limited in patients with CHD and end stage heart failure due to anatomic (systemic right ventricle, single ventricle, surgically altered anatomy, valve dysfunction, etc.) and physiologic constraints (diastolic dysfunction). The total artificial heart (TAH), which has right and left sided pumps that can be arranged in a variety of orientations, can accommodate the anatomic variation present in CHD patients. This review provides an overview of the potential use of the TAH in patients with CHD. PMID:28536530

  16. Tracking Central Hypovolemia with ECG in Humans: Cautions for the Use of Heart Period Variability in Patient Monitoring

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-06-01

    without influences that may confound the re- sults (e.g., pain, anxiety , transport conditions, caregiver in- terventions). Second, rather than being...32. Ryan KL, Rickards CA, Muniz GW, Moralez G, Convertino VA: Interindi- vidual variability in heart rate variability ( HRV ) and complexity measure...Raimondi G, Legramante JM, Macerata A: Revisiting the potential of time-domain indexes in short-term HRV analysis. Biomed Tech (Berl) 51:190Y193, 2006

  17. Symbolic dynamics of heart rate variability - a promising tool to investigate cardiac sympathovagal control in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

    PubMed

    Tonhajzerova, Ingrid; Farsky, Ivan; Mestanik, Michal; Visnovcova, Zuzana; Mestanikova, Andrea; Hrtanek, Igor; Ondrejka, Igor

    2016-06-01

    We aimed to evaluate complex cardiac sympathovagal control in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by using heart rate variability (HRV) nonlinear analysis - symbolic dynamics. We examined 29 boys with untreated ADHD and 25 healthy boys (age 8-13 years). ADHD symptoms were evaluated by ADHD-RS-IV scale. ECG was recorded in 3 positions: baseline supine position, orthostasis, and clinostasis. Symbolic dynamics indices were used for the assessment of complex cardiac sympathovagal regulation: normalised complexity index (NCI), normalised unpredictability index (NUPI), and pattern classification measures (0V%, 1V%, 2LV%, 2UV%). The results showed that HRV complexity was significantly reduced at rest (NUPI) and during standing position (NCI, NUPI) in ADHD group compared to controls. Cardiac-linked sympathetic index 0V% was significantly higher during all posture positions and cardiovagal index 2LV% was significantly lower to standing in boys suffering from ADHD. Importantly, ADHD symptom inattention positively correlated with 0V%, and negatively correlated with NCI, NUPI. Concluding, symbolic dynamics revealed impaired complex neurocardiac control characterised by potential cardiac beta-adrenergic overactivity and vagal deficiency at rest and to posture changes in boys suffering from ADHD that is correlated with inattention. We suggest that symbolic dynamics indices could represent promising cardiac biomarkers in ADHD.

  18. Cardiac-resynchronization therapy in heart failure with a narrow QRS complex.

    PubMed

    Ruschitzka, Frank; Abraham, William T; Singh, Jagmeet P; Bax, Jeroen J; Borer, Jeffrey S; Brugada, Josep; Dickstein, Kenneth; Ford, Ian; Gorcsan, John; Gras, Daniel; Krum, Henry; Sogaard, Peter; Holzmeister, Johannes

    2013-10-10

    Cardiac-resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality in chronic systolic heart failure with a wide QRS complex. Mechanical dyssynchrony also occurs in patients with a narrow QRS complex, which suggests the potential usefulness of CRT in such patients. We conducted a randomized trial involving 115 centers to evaluate the effect of CRT in patients with New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure, a left ventricular ejection fraction of 35% or less, a QRS duration of less than 130 msec, and echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular dyssynchrony. All patients underwent device implantation and were randomly assigned to have CRT capability turned on or off. The primary efficacy outcome was the composite of death from any cause or first hospitalization for worsening heart failure. On March 13, 2013, the study was stopped for futility on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring board. At study closure, the 809 patients who had undergone randomization had been followed for a mean of 19.4 months. The primary outcome occurred in 116 of 404 patients in the CRT group, as compared with 102 of 405 in the control group (28.7% vs. 25.2%; hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92 to 1.57; P=0.15). There were 45 deaths in the CRT group and 26 in the control group (11.1% vs. 6.4%; hazard ratio, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.93; P=0.02). In patients with systolic heart failure and a QRS duration of less than 130 msec, CRT does not reduce the rate of death or hospitalization for heart failure and may increase mortality. (Funded by Biotronik and GE Healthcare; EchoCRT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00683696.).

  19. Application of higher-order cepstral techniques in problems of fetal heart signal extraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sabry-Rizk, Madiha; Zgallai, Walid; Hardiman, P.; O'Riordan, J.

    1996-10-01

    Recently, cepstral analysis based on second order statistics and homomorphic filtering techniques have been used in the adaptive decomposition of overlapping, or otherwise, and noise contaminated ECG complexes of mothers and fetals obtained by a transabdominal surface electrodes connected to a monitoring instrument, an interface card, and a PC. Differential time delays of fetal heart beats measured from a reference point located on the mother complex after transformation to cepstra domains are first obtained and this is followed by fetal heart rate variability computations. Homomorphic filtering in the complex cepstral domain and the subuent transformation to the time domain results in fetal complex recovery. However, three problems have been identified with second-order based cepstral techniques that needed rectification in this paper. These are (1) errors resulting from the phase unwrapping algorithms and leading to fetal complex perturbation, (2) the unavoidable conversion of noise statistics from Gaussianess to non-Gaussianess due to the highly non-linear nature of homomorphic transform does warrant stringent noise cancellation routines, (3) due to the aforementioned problems in (1) and (2), it is difficult to adaptively optimize windows to include all individual fetal complexes in the time domain based on amplitude thresholding routines in the complex cepstral domain (i.e. the task of `zooming' in on weak fetal complexes requires more processing time). The use of third-order based high resolution differential cepstrum technique results in recovery of the delay of the order of 120 milliseconds.

  20. Role of individual phosphorylation sites in inactivation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in rat heart mitochondria

    PubMed Central

    Sale, Graham J.; Randle, Philip J.

    1982-01-01

    1. A method is described using trypsin/formic acid cleavage for unambiguously measuring occupancies of phosphorylation sites in rat heart pyruvate dehydrogenase [32P]phosphate complexes. 2. In mitochondria oxidizing 2-oxoglutarate+l-malate relative initial rates of phosphorylation were site 1>site 2>site 3. 3. Dephosphorylation and reactivation of fully phosphorylated complex was initiated in mitochondria by inhibiting the kinase reaction. Using dichloroacetate relative rates of dephosphorylation were site 2>(1=3). Using sodium dithionite or sodium pyruvate or uncouplers+sodium arsenite or steady state turnover (31P replacing 32P in inactive complex) relative rates were site 2>site 1>site 3. With dithionite reactivation was faster than site 3 dephosphorylation, i.e. site 3 is apparently not inactivating. 4. The steady state proportion of inactive complex was varied (92–48%) in mitochondria oxidizing 2-oxoglutarate/l-malate by increasing extramitochondrial Ca2+ (0–2.6μm). This action of Ca2+ induced dephosphorylation (site 3>site 2>site 1). These experiments enable prediction of site occupancies in vivo for given steady state proportions of inactive complexes. 5. The proportion of inactive complex was related linearly to occupancy of site 1. 6. Sodium dithionite (10mm) and Ca2+ (0.5μm) together resulted in faster dephosphorylations of each site than either agent alone; relative rates were site 2>(1=3). 7. Dephosphorylation and possibly phosphorylation of sites 1 and 2 was not purely sequential as shown by detection of complexes phosphorylated in site 2 but not in site 1. Estimates of the contribution of site 2 phosphorylation to inactivation ranged from 0.7 to 6.4%. 8. It is concluded that the primary function of site 1 phosphorylation is inactivation, phosphorylation of site 2 is not primarily concerned with inactivation and that phosphorylation of site 3 is non-inactivating. PMID:7103952

  1. ECG on the road: robust and unobtrusive estimation of heart rate.

    PubMed

    Wartzek, Tobias; Eilebrecht, Benjamin; Lem, Jeroen; Lindner, Hans-Joachim; Leonhardt, Steffen; Walter, Marian

    2011-11-01

    Modern automobiles include an increasing number of assistance systems to increase the driver's safety. This feasibility study investigated unobtrusive capacitive ECG measurements in an automotive environment. Electrodes integrated into the driving seat allowed to measure a reliable ECG in 86% of the drivers; when only (light) cotton clothing was worn by the drivers, this value increased to 95%. Results show that an array of sensors is needed that can adapt to the different drivers and sitting positions. Measurements while driving show that traveling on the highway does not distort the signal any more than with the car engine turned OFF, whereas driving in city traffic results in a lowered detection rate due to the driver's heavier movements. To enable robust and reliable estimation of heart rate, an algorithm is presented (based on principal component analysis) to detect and discard time intervals with artifacts. This, then, allows a reliable estimation of heart rate of up to 61% in city traffic and up to 86% on the highway: as a percentage of the total driving period with at least four consecutive QRS complexes.

  2. Hormones and heart disease.

    PubMed

    Kent, S

    1979-06-01

    Because the advantage that women have over men in a lower heart attack rate is gradually lost after menopause, it has been suggested that estrogen may exert a protective effect against heart disease. The situation is complex, and the available data are open to various interpretations. Available data show a gradual, predictable increase in the death rate from heart disease among women with advancing age, despite the apparent increase in cardiovascular events around the time of menopause. This suggests that men may be particularly susceptible to heart disease, rather than that women have an immunity to the disease. The theory that estrogen exerts a protective effect against heart disease was examined when men who had had heart attacks were treated with estrogen in the Coronary Drug Project. The practice was discontinued when it was found that men receiving estrogen had an elevated incidence of myocardial infarction, a finding that suggests that estrogen may promote heart disease. Additional evidence that estrogen may have a harmful effect on the cardiovascular system comes from a recent study by Gerald B. Phillips who found that men who had suffered heart attacks before age 43 had higher levels of estradiol in their blood than men who had not had heart attacks. A noteworthy finding from th e Framingham study was the fact that the relative risk of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal compared with premenopausal women seemed to decrease with age. Hans Selye identifies stress as "the final, decisive eliciting factor" in precipitating heart attack. Broda O. Barnes also maintains that stress is a major cause of heart attack, but adds that most stress-prone individuals suffer from thyroid deficiency, which is the underlying cause of their increased susceptibility to heart attacks.

  3. Validating accelerometry estimates of energy expenditure across behaviours using heart rate data in a free-living seabird.

    PubMed

    Hicks, Olivia; Burthe, Sarah; Daunt, Francis; Butler, Adam; Bishop, Charles; Green, Jonathan A

    2017-05-15

    Two main techniques have dominated the field of ecological energetics: the heart rate and doubly labelled water methods. Although well established, they are not without their weaknesses, namely expense, intrusiveness and lack of temporal resolution. A new technique has been developed using accelerometers; it uses the overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) of an animal as a calibrated proxy for energy expenditure. This method provides high-resolution data without the need for surgery. Significant relationships exist between the rate of oxygen consumption ( V̇ O 2 ) and ODBA in controlled conditions across a number of taxa; however, it is not known whether ODBA represents a robust proxy for energy expenditure consistently in all natural behaviours and there have been specific questions over its validity during diving, in diving endotherms. Here, we simultaneously deployed accelerometers and heart rate loggers in a wild population of European shags ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis ). Existing calibration relationships were then used to make behaviour-specific estimates of energy expenditure for each of these two techniques. Compared with heart rate-derived estimates, the ODBA method predicts energy expenditure well during flight and diving behaviour, but overestimates the cost of resting behaviour. We then combined these two datasets to generate a new calibration relationship between ODBA and V̇ O 2  that accounts for this by being informed by heart rate-derived estimates. Across behaviours we found a good relationship between ODBA and V̇ O 2 Within individual behaviours, we found useable relationships between ODBA and V̇ O 2  for flight and resting, and a poor relationship during diving. The error associated with these new calibration relationships mostly originates from the previous heart rate calibration rather than the error associated with the ODBA method. The equations provide tools for understanding how energy constrains ecology across the complex behaviour of free-living diving birds. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  4. Visibility graph analysis of heart rate time series and bio-marker of congestive heart failure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhaduri, Anirban; Bhaduri, Susmita; Ghosh, Dipak

    2017-09-01

    Study of RR interval time series for Congestive Heart Failure had been an area of study with different methods including non-linear methods. In this article the cardiac dynamics of heart beat are explored in the light of complex network analysis, viz. visibility graph method. Heart beat (RR Interval) time series data taken from Physionet database [46, 47] belonging to two groups of subjects, diseased (congestive heart failure) (29 in number) and normal (54 in number) are analyzed with the technique. The overall results show that a quantitative parameter can significantly differentiate between the diseased subjects and the normal subjects as well as different stages of the disease. Further, the data when split into periods of around 1 hour each and analyzed separately, also shows the same consistent differences. This quantitative parameter obtained using the visibility graph analysis thereby can be used as a potential bio-marker as well as a subsequent alarm generation mechanism for predicting the onset of Congestive Heart Failure.

  5. Evaluation of heart rhythm variability and arrhythmia in children with systemic and localized scleroderma.

    PubMed

    Wozniak, Jacek; Dabrowski, Rafal; Luczak, Dariusz; Kwiatkowska, Malgorzata; Musiej-Nowakowska, Elzbieta; Kowalik, Ilona; Szwed, Hanna

    2009-01-01

    To evaluate possible disturbances in autonomic regulation and cardiac arrhythmias in children with localized and systemic scleroderma. There were 40 children included in the study: 20 with systemic and 20 with localized scleroderma. The control group comprised 20 healthy children. In 24-hour Holter recording, the average rate of sinus rhythm was significantly higher in the groups with systemic and localized scleroderma than in the control group, but there was no significant difference between them. The variability of heart rhythm in both groups was significantly decreased. In the group with systemic scleroderma, single supraventricular ectopic beats were observed in 20% and runs were seen in 40% of patients. In the group with localized scleroderma, supraventricular single ectopic beats occurred in 35% of patients and runs in 45% of those studied. Ventricular arrhythmia occurred in 2 children with systemic scleroderma, but in 1 child, it was complex. The most frequent cardiac arrhythmias in both types of scleroderma in children were of supraventricular origin, whereas ventricular arrhythmias did not occur very often. There were no significant differences in autonomic disturbances manifesting as a higher heart rate and decreased heart rate variability between localized and systemic scleroderma.

  6. Evaluation of heart rate variability indices using a real-time handheld remote ECG monitor.

    PubMed

    Singh, Swaroop S; Carlson, Barbara W; Hsiao, Henry S

    2007-12-01

    Studies on retrospective electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings of patients during cardiac arrest have shown significant changes in heart rate variability (HRV) indices prior to the onset of cardiac arrhythmia. The early detection of these changes in HRV indices increases the chances for a successful medical intervention by increasing the response time window. A portable, handheld remote ECG monitor designed in this research detects the QRS complex and calculates short-term HRV indices in real-time. The QRS detection of the ECG recordings of subjects from the MIT-Arrhythmia database yielded a mean sensitivity of 99.34% and a specificity of 99.31%. ECG recordings from normal subjects and subjects with congestive heart failure were used to identify the differences in HRV indices. An increase in heart rate, high-frequency spectral power (HFP), total spectral power, the ratio of HFP to low-frequency spectral power (LFP), and a decrease in root mean square sum of RR differences were observed. No difference was found on comparison of the standard deviation of normal to normal interval between adjacent R-waves, LFP, and very-low-frequency spectral power. Based on these, additional analytical calculations could be made to provide early warnings of impending cardiac conditions.

  7. The Aristotle Comprehensive Complexity score predicts mortality and morbidity after congenital heart surgery.

    PubMed

    Bojan, Mirela; Gerelli, Sébastien; Gioanni, Simone; Pouard, Philippe; Vouhé, Pascal

    2011-04-01

    The Aristotle Comprehensive Complexity (ACC) score has been proposed for complexity adjustment in the analysis of outcome after congenital heart surgery. The score is the sum of the Aristotle Basic Complexity score, largely used but poorly related to mortality and morbidity, and of the Comprehensive Complexity items accounting for comorbidities and procedure-specific and anatomic variability. This study aims to demonstrate the ability of the ACC score to predict 30-day mortality and morbidity assessed by the length of the intensive care unit (ICU) stay. We retrospectively enrolled patients undergoing congenital heart surgery in our institution. We modeled the ACC score as a continuous variable, mortality as a binary variable, and length of ICU stay as a censored variable. For each mortality and morbidity model we performed internal validation by bootstrapping and assessed overall performance by R(2), calibration by the calibration slope, and discrimination by the c index. Among all 1,454 patients enrolled, 30-day mortality rate was 3.4% and median length of ICU stay was 3 days. The ACC score strongly related to mortality, but related to length of ICU stay only during the first postoperative week. For the mortality model, R(2) = 0.24, calibration slope = 0.98, c index = 0.86, and 95% confidence interval was 0.82 to 0.91. For the morbidity model, R(2) = 0.094, calibration slope = 0.94, c index = 0.64, and 95% confidence interval was 0.62 to 0.66. The ACC score predicts 30-day mortality and length of ICU stay during the first postoperative week. The score is an adequate tool for complexity adjustment in the analysis of outcome after congenital heart surgery. Copyright © 2011 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Energy expenditure in frontotemporal dementia: a behavioural and imaging study.

    PubMed

    Ahmed, Rebekah M; Landin-Romero, Ramon; Collet, Tinh-Hai; van der Klaauw, Agatha A; Devenney, Emma; Henning, Elana; Kiernan, Matthew C; Piguet, Olivier; Farooqi, I Sadaf; Hodges, John R

    2017-01-01

    SEE FINGER DOI101093/AWW312 FOR A SCIENTIFIC COMMENTARY ON THIS ARTICLE: Abnormal eating behaviour and metabolic parameters including insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and body mass index are increasingly recognized as important components of neurodegenerative disease and may contribute to survival. It has previously been established that behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia is associated with abnormal eating behaviour characterized by increased sweet preference. In this study, it was hypothesized that behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia might also be associated with altered energy expenditure. A cohort of 19 patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, 13 with Alzheimer's disease and 16 (age- and sex-matched) healthy control subjects were studied using Actiheart devices (CamNtech) to assess resting and stressed heart rate. Actiheart devices were fitted for 7 days to measure sleeping heart rate, activity levels, and resting, active and total energy expenditure. Using high resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging the neural correlates of increased resting heart rate were investigated including cortical thickness and region of interest analyses. In behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, resting (P = 0.001), stressed (P = 0.037) and sleeping heart rate (P = 0.038) were increased compared to control subjects, and resting heart rate (P = 0.020) compared to Alzheimer disease patients. Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia was associated with decreased activity levels compared to controls (P = 0.002) and increased resting energy expenditure (P = 0.045) and total energy expenditure (P = 0.035). Increased resting heart rate correlated with behavioural (Cambridge Behavioural Inventory) and cognitive measures (Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination). Increased resting heart rate in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia correlated with atrophy involving the mesial temporal cortex, insula, and amygdala, regions previously suggested to be involved exclusively in social and emotion processing in frontotemporal dementia. These neural correlates overlap the network involved in eating behaviour in frontotemporal dementia, suggesting a complex interaction between eating behaviour, autonomic function and energy homeostasis. As such the present study suggests that increased heart rate and autonomic changes are prevalent in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, and are associated with changes in energy expenditure. An understanding of these changes and neural correlates may have potential relevance to disease progression and prognosis. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Temporal dynamics of the circadian heart rate following low and high volume exercise training in sedentary male subjects.

    PubMed

    Jelinek, Herbert F; Karmakar, C; Kiviniemi, A M; Hautala, A J; Tulppo, M P; Mäkikallio, T H; Huikuri, H V; Khandoker, A H; Palaniswami, M

    2015-10-01

    Increased risk of arrhythmic events occurs at certain times during the circadian cycle with the highest risk being in the second and fourth quarter of the day. Exercise improves treatment outcome in individuals with cardiovascular disease. How different exercise protocols affect the circadian rhythm and the associated decrease in adverse cardiovascular risk over the circadian cycle has not been shown. Fifty sedentary male participants were randomized into an 8-week high volume and moderate volume training and a control group. Heart rate was recorded using Polar Electronics and investigated with Cosinor analysis and by Poincaré plot derived features of SD1, SD2 and the complex correlation measure (CCM) at 1-h intervals over the 24-h period. Moderate exercise significantly increased vagal modulation and the temporal dynamics of the heart rate in the second quarter of the circadian cycle (p = 0.004 and p = 0.007 respectively). High volume exercise had a similar effect on vagal output (p = 0.003) and temporal dynamics (p = 0.003). Cosinor analysis confirms that the circadian heart rate displays a shift in the acrophage following moderate and high volume exercise from before waking (1st quarter) to after waking (2nd quarter of day). Our results suggest that exercise shifts vagal influence and increases temporal dynamics of the heart rate to the 2nd quarter of the day and suggest that this may be the underlying physiological change leading to a decrease in adverse arrhythmic events during this otherwise high-risk period.

  10. Field Measurements Indicate Unexpected, Serious Underestimation of Mussel Heart Rates and Thermal Tolerance by Laboratory Studies

    PubMed Central

    Tagliarolo, Morgana; McQuaid, Christopher D.

    2016-01-01

    Attempts to predict the response of species to long-term environmental change are generally based on extrapolations from laboratory experiments that inevitably simplify the complex interacting effects that occur in the field. We recorded heart rates of two genetic lineages of the brown mussel Perna perna over a full tidal cycle in-situ at two different sites in order to evaluate the cardiac responses of the two genetic lineages present on the South African coast to temperature and the immersion/emersion cycle. “Robomussel” temperature loggers were used to monitor thermal conditions at the two sites over one year. Comparison with live animals showed that robomussels provided a good estimate of mussel body temperatures. A significant difference in estimated body temperatures was observed between the sites and the results showed that, under natural conditions, temperatures regularly approach or exceed the thermal limits of P. perna identified in the laboratory. The two P. perna lineages showed similar tidal and diel patterns of heart rate, with higher cardiac activity during daytime immersion and minimal values during daytime emersion. Comparison of the heart rates measured in the field with data previously measured in the laboratory indicates that laboratory results seriously underestimate heart rate activity, by as much as 75%, especially during immersion. Unexpectedly, field estimates of body temperatures indicated an ability to tolerate temperatures considered lethal on the basis of laboratory measurements. This suggests that the interaction of abiotic conditions in the field does not necessarily raise vulnerability to high temperatures. PMID:26840775

  11. Case complexity scores in congenital heart surgery: a comparative study of the Aristotle Basic Complexity score and the Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS-1) system.

    PubMed

    Al-Radi, Osman O; Harrell, Frank E; Caldarone, Christopher A; McCrindle, Brian W; Jacobs, Jeffrey P; Williams, M Gail; Van Arsdell, Glen S; Williams, William G

    2007-04-01

    The Aristotle Basic Complexity score and the Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery system were developed by consensus to compare outcomes of congenital cardiac surgery. We compared the predictive value of the 2 systems. Of all index congenital cardiac operations at our institution from 1982 to 2004 (n = 13,675), we were able to assign an Aristotle Basic Complexity score, a Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery score, and both scores to 13,138 (96%), 11,533 (84%), and 11,438 (84%) operations, respectively. Models of in-hospital mortality and length of stay were generated for Aristotle Basic Complexity and Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery using an identical data set in which both Aristotle Basic Complexity and Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery scores were assigned. The likelihood ratio test for nested models and paired concordance statistics were used. After adjustment for year of operation, the odds ratios for Aristotle Basic Complexity score 3 versus 6, 9 versus 6, 12 versus 6, and 15 versus 6 were 0.29, 2.22, 7.62, and 26.54 (P < .0001). Similarly, odds ratios for Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery categories 1 versus 2, 3 versus 2, 4 versus 2, and 5/6 versus 2 were 0.23, 1.98, 5.80, and 20.71 (P < .0001). Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery added significant predictive value over Aristotle Basic Complexity (likelihood ratio chi2 = 162, P < .0001), whereas Aristotle Basic Complexity contributed much less predictive value over Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery (likelihood ratio chi2 = 13.4, P = .009). Neither system fully adjusted for the child's age. The Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery scores were more concordant with length of stay compared with Aristotle Basic Complexity scores (P < .0001). The predictive value of Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery is higher than that of Aristotle Basic Complexity. The use of Aristotle Basic Complexity or Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery as risk stratification and trending tools to monitor outcomes over time and to guide risk-adjusted comparisons may be valuable.

  12. [Design of a Front-end Device of Heart Rate Variability Analysis System Based on Photoplethysmography].

    PubMed

    Shi, Lei; Sun, Peng; Pang, Yu; Luo, Zhiyong; Wang, Wei; Wang, Yanxiang

    2016-02-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV) is the difference between the successive changes in the heartbeat cycle, and it is produced in the autonomic nervous system modulation of the sinus node of the heart. The HRV is a valuable indicator in predicting the sudden cardiac death and arrhythmic events. Traditional analysis of HRV is based on a multielectrocardiogram (ECG), but the ECG signal acquisition is complex, so we have designed an HRV analysis system based on photoplethysmography (PPG). PPG signal is collected by a microcontroller from human's finger, and it is sent to the terminal via USB-Serial module. The terminal software not only collects the data and plot waveforms, but also stores the data for future HRV analysis. The system is small in size, low in power consumption, and easy for operation. It is suitable for daily care no matter whether it is used at home or in a hospital.

  13. Renyi entropy measures of heart rate Gaussianity.

    PubMed

    Lake, Douglas E

    2006-01-01

    Sample entropy and approximate entropy are measures that have been successfully utilized to study the deterministic dynamics of heart rate (HR). A complementary stochastic point of view and a heuristic argument using the Central Limit Theorem suggests that the Gaussianity of HR is a complementary measure of the physiological complexity of the underlying signal transduction processes. Renyi entropy (or q-entropy) is a widely used measure of Gaussianity in many applications. Particularly important members of this family are differential (or Shannon) entropy (q = 1) and quadratic entropy (q = 2). We introduce the concepts of differential and conditional Renyi entropy rate and, in conjunction with Burg's theorem, develop a measure of the Gaussianity of a linear random process. Robust algorithms for estimating these quantities are presented along with estimates of their standard errors.

  14. Heart rate profile during exercise in patients with early repolarization.

    PubMed

    Cay, Serkan; Cagirci, Goksel; Atak, Ramazan; Balbay, Yucel; Demir, Ahmet Duran; Aydogdu, Sinan

    2010-09-01

    Both early repolarization and altered heart rate profile are associated with sudden death. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate an association between early repolarization and heart rate profile during exercise. A total of 84 subjects were included in the study. Comparable 44 subjects with early repolarization and 40 subjects with normal electrocardiogram underwent exercise stress testing. Resting heart rate, maximum heart rate, heart rate increment and decrement were analyzed. Both groups were comparable for baseline characteristics including resting heart rate. Maximum heart rate, heart rate increment and heart rate decrement of the subjects in early repolarization group had significantly decreased maximum heart rate, heart rate increment and heart rate decrement compared to control group (all P < 0.05). The lower heart rate increment (< 106 beats/min) and heart rate decrement (< 95 beats/min) were significantly associated with the presence of early repolarization. After adjustment for age and sex, the multiple-adjusted OR of the risk of presence of early repolarization was 2.98 (95%CI 1.21-7.34) (P = 0.018) and 7.73 (95%CI 2.84-21.03) (P < 0.001) for the lower heart rate increment and heart rate decrement compared to higher levels, respectively. Subjects with early repolarization have altered heart rate profile during exercise compared to control subjects. This can be related to sudden death.

  15. Quantitative Assessment of Heart Rate Dynamics during Meditation: An ECG Based Study with Multi-Fractality and Visibility Graph

    PubMed Central

    Bhaduri, Anirban; Ghosh, Dipak

    2016-01-01

    The cardiac dynamics during meditation is explored quantitatively with two chaos-based non-linear techniques viz. multi-fractal detrended fluctuation analysis and visibility network analysis techniques. The data used are the instantaneous heart rate (in beats/minute) of subjects performing Kundalini Yoga and Chi meditation from PhysioNet. The results show consistent differences between the quantitative parameters obtained by both the analysis techniques. This indicates an interesting phenomenon of change in the complexity of the cardiac dynamics during meditation supported with quantitative parameters. The results also produce a preliminary evidence that these techniques can be used as a measure of physiological impact on subjects performing meditation. PMID:26909045

  16. Noise-tolerant instantaneous heart rate and R-peak detection using short-term autocorrelation for wearable healthcare systems.

    PubMed

    Fujii, Takahide; Nakano, Masanao; Yamashita, Ken; Konishi, Toshihiro; Izumi, Shintaro; Kawaguchi, Hiroshi; Yoshimoto, Masahiko

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes a robust method of Instantaneous Heart Rate (IHR) and R-peak detection from noisy electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. Generally, the IHR is calculated from the R-wave interval. Then, the R-waves are extracted from the ECG using a threshold. However, in wearable bio-signal monitoring systems, noise increases the incidence of misdetection and false detection of R-peaks. To prevent incorrect detection, we introduce a short-term autocorrelation (STAC) technique and a small-window autocorrelation (SWAC) technique, which leverages the similarity of QRS complex waveforms. Simulation results show that the proposed method improves the noise tolerance of R-peak detection.

  17. Quantitative Assessment of Heart Rate Dynamics during Meditation: An ECG Based Study with Multi-Fractality and Visibility Graph.

    PubMed

    Bhaduri, Anirban; Ghosh, Dipak

    2016-01-01

    The cardiac dynamics during meditation is explored quantitatively with two chaos-based non-linear techniques viz. multi-fractal detrended fluctuation analysis and visibility network analysis techniques. The data used are the instantaneous heart rate (in beats/minute) of subjects performing Kundalini Yoga and Chi meditation from PhysioNet. The results show consistent differences between the quantitative parameters obtained by both the analysis techniques. This indicates an interesting phenomenon of change in the complexity of the cardiac dynamics during meditation supported with quantitative parameters. The results also produce a preliminary evidence that these techniques can be used as a measure of physiological impact on subjects performing meditation.

  18. Visibility graph analysis of very short-term heart rate variability during sleep

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hou, F. Z.; Li, F. W.; Wang, J.; Yan, F. R.

    2016-09-01

    Based on a visibility-graph algorithm, complex networks were constructed from very short-term heart rate variability (HRV) during different sleep stages. Network measurements progressively changed from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep to light sleep and then deep sleep, exhibiting promising ability for sleep assessment. Abnormal activation of the cardiovascular controls with enhanced 'small-world' couplings and altered fractal organization during REM sleep indicates that REM could be a potential risk factor for adverse cardiovascular event, especially in males, older individuals, and people who are overweight. Additionally, an apparent influence of gender, aging, and obesity on sleep was demonstrated in healthy adults, which may be helpful for establishing expected sleep-HRV patterns in different populations.

  19. Association of heart rate profile during exercise with the severity of coronary artery disease.

    PubMed

    Cay, Serkan; Ozturk, Sezgin; Biyikoglu, Funda; Yildiz, Abdulkadir; Cimen, Tolga; Uygur, Belma; Tuna, Funda

    2009-05-01

    Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Autonomic nervous system abnormalities are associated with coronary artery disease and its complications. Exercise stress tests are routinely used for the detection of the presence of coronary artery disease. In this study, we observed the association between heart rate profile during exercise and the severity of coronary artery disease. One hundred and sixty patients with abnormal exercise treadmill test (> or =1 mm horizontal or downsloping ST-segment depression; 119 men, 41 women; mean age = 57 +/- 9 years) were included in the study. Use of any drug affecting heart rate was not permitted. Resting heart rate before exercise, maximum heart rate during exercise, and resting heart rate after exercise (5 min later) were measured and two parameters were calculated: heart rate increment (maximum heart rate - resting heart rate before exercise) and heart rate decrement (maximum heart rate - resting heart rate after exercise). All patients underwent selective coronary angiography and subclassified into two groups according to stenotic lesion severity. Group 1 had at least 50% of stenotic lesion and group 2 had less than 50%. Patients in the first group had increased resting heart rate, decreased maximum heart rate, decreased heart rate increment, and decreased heart rate decrement compared with second group. All patients were classified into tertiles of resting heart rate, heart rate increment, and heart rate decrement level to evaluate whether these parameters were associated with severity of coronary artery stenosis in the study. The multiple-adjusted odds ratio of the risk of severe coronary atherosclerosis was 21.888 (95% confidence interval 6.983-68.606) for the highest tertile of resting heart rate level compared with the lowest tertile. In addition, the multiple-adjusted odds ratio of the risk of severe coronary atherosclerosis was 20.987 (95% confidence interval 6.635-66.387) for the lowest tertile of heart rate increment level compared with the highest tertile and 2.360 (95% confidence interval 1.004-5.544) for the lowest tertile of heart rate decrement level compared with the highest tertile. Altered autonomic nervous system regulation affects heart rate profile, increased resting heart rate, decreased heart rate increment, and decreased heart rate decrement, during exercise and this effect is strongly and independently associated with the severity of coronary artery disease.

  20. Effects of seasonal acclimatization on temperature dependence of cardiac excitability in the roach, Rutilus rutilus.

    PubMed

    Badr, A; El-Sayed, M F; Vornanen, M

    2016-05-15

    Temperature sensitivity of electrical excitability is a potential limiting factor for performance level and thermal tolerance of excitable tissues in ectothermic animals. To test whether the rate and rhythm of the heart acclimatize to seasonal temperature changes, thermal sensitivity of cardiac excitation in a eurythermal teleost, the roach (Rutilus rutilus), was examined. Excitability of the heart was determined from in vivo electrocardiograms and in vitro microelectrode recordings of action potentials (APs) from winter and summer roach acclimatized to 4 and 18°C, respectively. Under heat ramps (3°C h(-1)), starting from the acclimatization temperatures of the fish, heart rate increased to maximum values of 78±5 beats min(-1) (at 19.8±0.5°C) and 150±7 beats min(-1) (at 28.1±0.5°C) for winter and summer roach, respectively, and then declined in both groups. Below 20°C, heart rate was significantly higher in winter than in summer roach (P<0.05), indicating positive thermal compensation. Cardiac arrhythmias appeared with rising temperature as missing QRS complexes, increase in variability of heart rate, episodes of atrial tachycardia, ventricular bradycardia and complete cessation of the heartbeat (asystole) in both winter and summer roach. Unlike winter roach, atrial APs of summer roach had a distinct early repolarization phase, which appeared as shorter durations of atrial AP at 10% and 20% repolarization levels in comparison to winter roach (P<0.05). In contrast, seasonal acclimatization had only subtle effects on ventricular AP characteristics. Plasticity of cardiac excitation appears to be necessary for seasonal improvements in performance level and thermal resilience of the roach heart. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  1. Complex sleep apnoea in congestive heart failure.

    PubMed

    Bitter, Thomas; Westerheide, Nina; Hossain, Mohammed Sajid; Lehmann, Roman; Prinz, Christian; Kleemeyer, Astrid; Horstkotte, Dieter; Oldenburg, Olaf

    2011-05-01

    Sleep disordered breathing is common and of prognostic significance in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Complex sleep apnoea (complexSA) is defined as the emergence of central sleep apnoea during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This study aims to determine the prevalence and predictors for complexSA in patients with CHF with OSA, and to assess the effects of treatment with adaptive servoventilation. 192 patients with CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤45%, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class ≥2) and OSA (apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) ≥15) were investigated using echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, measurement of hyperoxic, hypercapnic ventilatory response, 6 min walk test and measurement of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) prior to CPAP introduction. If patients demonstrated complexSA (AHI >15/h with <10% obstructive events) during CPAP titration, adaptive servoventilation was introduced and the investigations were repeated at 3 monthly follow-up visits. ComplexSA developed in 34 patients (18%) during CPAP titration. After adjustment for demographic and cardiac parameters, measures of CO(2) sensitivity (higher hyperoxic, hypercapnic ventilatory response) were independently associated with complexSA. Patients using adaptive servoventilation had improved AHI, NYHA class, NT-proBNP concentration, LVEF, hyperoxic, hypercapnic ventilatory response, oxygen uptake during cardiopulmonary exercise testing and the relationship between minute ventilation and the rate of CO(2) elimination (VE/Vco(2) slope) at last individual follow-up (14±4 months). There is a high prevalence of complexSA in patients with OSA and CHF, and those who develop complexSA have evidence of higher respiratory controller gain before application of CPAP. Treatment with adaptive servoventilation effectively suppressed complexSA and had positive effects on cardiac function and respiratory stability.

  2. In female rat heart mitochondria, oophorectomy results in loss of oxidative phosphorylation.

    PubMed

    Pavón, Natalia; Cabrera-Orefice, Alfredo; Gallardo-Pérez, Juan Carlos; Uribe-Alvarez, Cristina; Rivero-Segura, Nadia A; Vazquez-Martínez, Edgar Ricardo; Cerbón, Marco; Martínez-Abundis, Eduardo; Torres-Narvaez, Juan Carlos; Martínez-Memije, Raúl; Roldán-Gómez, Francisco-Javier; Uribe-Carvajal, Salvador

    2017-02-01

    Oophorectomy in adult rats affected cardiac mitochondrial function. Progression of mitochondrial alterations was assessed at one, two and three months after surgery: at one month, very slight changes were observed, which increased at two and three months. Gradual effects included decrease in the rates of oxygen consumption and in respiratory uncoupling in the presence of complex I substrates, as well as compromised Ca 2+ buffering ability. Malondialdehyde concentration increased, whereas the ROS-detoxifying enzyme Mn 2+ superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and aconitase lost activity. In the mitochondrial respiratory chain, the concentration and activity of complex I and complex IV decreased. Among other mitochondrial enzymes and transporters, adenine nucleotide carrier and glutaminase decreased. 2-Oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase also decreased. Data strongly suggest that in the female rat heart, estrogen depletion leads to progressive, severe mitochondrial dysfunction. © 2017 Society for Endocrinology.

  3. Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Dysfunction in Failing Heart.

    PubMed

    Sheeran, Freya L; Pepe, Salvatore

    2017-01-01

    Energy insufficiency has been recognized as a key feature of systolic heart failure. Although mitochondria have long been known to sustain myocardial work energy supply, the capacity to therapeutically target mitochondrial bioenergetics dysfunction is hampered by a complex interplay of multiple perturbations that progressively compound causing myocardial failure and collapse. Compared to non-failing human donor hearts, activity rates of complexes I and IV, nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NADPH-transhydrogenase, Nnt) and the Krebs cycle enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and aconitase are markedly decreased in end-stage heart failure. Diminished REDOX capacity with lower total glutathione and coenzyme Q 10 levels are also a feature of chronic left ventricular failure. Decreased enzyme activities in part relate to abundant and highly specific oxidative, nitrosylative, and hyperacetylation modifications. In this brief review we highlight that energy deficiency in end-stage failing human left ventricle predominantly involves concomitantly impaired activities of key electron transport chain and Krebs cycle enzymes rather than altered expression of respective genes or proteins. Augmented oxidative modification of these enzyme subunit structures, and the formation of highly reactive secondary metabolites, implicates dysfunction due to diminished capacity for management of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which contribute further to progressive decreases in bioenergetic capacity and contractile function in human heart failure.

  4. We should be using nonlinear indices when relating heart-rate dynamics to cognition and mood

    PubMed Central

    Young, Hayley; Benton, David

    2015-01-01

    Both heart rate (HR) and brain functioning involve the integrated output of a multitude of regulatory mechanisms, that are not quantified adequately by linear approximations such as means and standard deviations. It was therefore considered whether non-linear measures of HR complexity are more strongly associated with cognition and mood. Whilst resting, the inter-beat (R-R) time series of twenty-one males and twenty-four females were measured for five minutes. The data were summarised using time, frequency and nonlinear complexity measures. Attention, memory, reaction times, mood and cortisol levels were assessed. Nonlinear HR indices captured additional information, enabling a greater percentage of the variance in behaviour to be explained. On occasions non-linear indices were related to aspects for behaviour, for example focused attention and cortisol production, when time or frequency indices were not. These effects were sexually dimorphic with HR complexity being more strongly associated with the behaviour of females. It was concluded that nonlinear rather than linear methods of summarizing the HR times series offers a novel way of relating brain functioning and behaviour. It should be considered whether non-linear measures of HR complexity can be used as a biomarker of the integrated functioning of the brain. PMID:26565560

  5. Phenyl-alpha-tert-butyl nitrone reverses mitochondrial decay in acute Chagas' disease.

    PubMed

    Wen, Jian-Jun; Bhatia, Vandanajay; Popov, Vsevolod L; Garg, Nisha Jain

    2006-12-01

    In this study, we investigated the mechanism(s) of mitochondrial functional decline in acute Chagas' disease. Our data show a substantial decline in respiratory complex activities (39 to 58%) and ATP (38%) content in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected murine hearts compared with normal controls. These metabolic alterations were associated with an approximately fivefold increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production rate, substantial oxidative insult of mitochondrial membranes and respiratory complex subunits, and >60% inhibition of mtDNA-encoded transcripts for respiratory complex subunits in infected myocardium. The antioxidant phenyl-alpha-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) arrested the oxidative damage-mediated loss in mitochondrial membrane integrity, preserved redox potential-coupled mitochondrial gene expression, and improved respiratory complex activities (47 to 95% increase) and cardiac ATP level (>or=40% increase) in infected myocardium. Importantly, PBN resulted twofold decline in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production rate in infected myocardium. Taken together, our data demonstrate the pathological significance of oxidative stress in metabolic decay and energy homeostasis in acute chagasic myocarditis and further suggest that oxidative injuries affecting mitochondrial integrity-dependent expression and activity of the respiratory complexes initiate a feedback cycle of electron transport chain inefficiency, increased reactive oxygen species production, and energy homeostasis in acute chagasic hearts. PBN and other mitochondria-targeted antioxidants may be useful in altering mitochondrial decay and oxidative pathology in Chagas' disease.

  6. Electrical Heart Defibrillation with Ion Channel Blockers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feeney, Erin; Clark, Courtney; Puwal, Steffan

    Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Rotary electrical waves within heart muscle underlie electrical disorders of the heart termed fibrillation; their propagation and breakup leads to a complex distribution of electrical activation of the tissue (and of the ensuing mechanical contraction that comes from electrical activation). Successful heart defibrillation has, thus far, been limited to delivering large electrical shocks to activate the entire heart and reset its electrical activity. In theory, defibrillation of a system this nonlinear should be possible with small electrical perturbations (stimulations). A successful algorithm for such a low-energy defibrillator continues to elude researchers. We propose to examine in silica whether low-energy electrical stimulations can be combined with antiarrhythmic, ion channel-blocking drugs to achieve a higher rate of defibrillation and whether the antiarrhythmic drugs should be delivered before or after electrical stimulation has commenced. Progress toward a more successful, low-energy defibrillator will greatly minimize the adverse effects noted in defibrillation and will assist in the development of pediatric defibrillators.

  7. Optimum Heart Rate to Minimize Pulsatile External Cardiac Power

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pahlevan, Niema; Gharib, Morteza

    2011-11-01

    The workload on the left ventricle is composed of steady and pulsatile components. Clinical investigations have confirmed that an abnormal pulsatile load plays an important role in the pathogenesis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and progression of LVH to congestive heart failure (CHF). The pulsatile load is the result of the complex dynamics of wave propagation and reflection in the compliant arterial vasculature. We hypothesize that aortic waves can be optimized to reduce the left ventricular (LV) pulsatile load. We used an in-vitro experimental approach to investigate our hypothesis. A unique hydraulic model was used for in-vitro experiments. This model has physical and dynamical properties similar to the heart-aorta system. Different compliant models of the artificial aorta were used to test the hypothesis under various aortic rigidities. Our results indicate that: i) there is an optimum heart rate that minimizes LV pulsatile power (this is in agreement with our previous computational study); ii) introducing an extra reflection site at the specific location along the aorta creates constructive wave conditions that reduce the LV pulsatile power.

  8. A novel recursive Fourier transform for nonuniform sampled signals: application to heart rate variability spectrum estimation.

    PubMed

    Holland, Alexander; Aboy, Mateo

    2009-07-01

    We present a novel method to iteratively calculate discrete Fourier transforms for discrete time signals with sample time intervals that may be widely nonuniform. The proposed recursive Fourier transform (RFT) does not require interpolation of the samples to uniform time intervals, and each iterative transform update of N frequencies has computational order N. Because of the inherent non-uniformity in the time between successive heart beats, an application particularly well suited for this transform is power spectral density (PSD) estimation for heart rate variability. We compare RFT based spectrum estimation with Lomb-Scargle Transform (LST) based estimation. PSD estimation based on the LST also does not require uniform time samples, but the LST has a computational order greater than Nlog(N). We conducted an assessment study involving the analysis of quasi-stationary signals with various levels of randomly missing heart beats. Our results indicate that the RFT leads to comparable estimation performance to the LST with significantly less computational overhead and complexity for applications requiring iterative spectrum estimations.

  9. The effects of heart rate control in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

    PubMed

    Grande, Dario; Iacoviello, Massimo; Aspromonte, Nadia

    2018-07-01

    Elevated heart rate has been associated with worse prognosis both in the general population and in patients with heart failure. Heart rate is finely modulated by neurohormonal signals and it reflects the balance between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic limbs of the autonomic nervous system. For this reason, elevated heart rate in heart failure has been considered an epiphenomenon of the sympathetic hyperactivation during heart failure. However, experimental and clinical evidence suggests that high heart rate could have a direct pathogenetic role. Consequently, heart rate might act as a pathophysiological mediator of heart failure as well as a marker of adverse outcome. This hypothesis has been supported by the observation that the positive effect of beta-blockade could be linked to the degree of heart rate reduction. In addition, the selective heart rate control with ivabradine has recently been demonstrated to be beneficial in patients with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The objective of this review is to examine the pathophysiological implications of elevated heart rate in chronic heart failure and explore the mechanisms underlying the effects of pharmacological heart rate control.

  10. Automated assessment of blood flow in developing embryonic hearts by extending dynamic range of Doppler OCT using a MHz FDML swept laser source (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elahi, Sahar; Thrane, Lars; Rollins, Andrew M.; Jenkins, Michael W.

    2017-02-01

    Altered hemodynamics in developing embryonic hearts lead to congenital heart diseases, motivating close monitoring of blood flow over several stages of development. Doppler OCT can assess blood flow in tubular hearts, but the maximum velocity increases drastically during the period of cardiac cushion (valve precursors) formation. Therefore, the limited dynamic range of Doppler OCT velocity measurement makes it difficult to conduct longitudinal studies without phase wrapping at high velocities or loss of sensitivity to slow velocities. We have built a high-speed OCT system using an FDML laser (Optores GmbH, Germany) at a sweep rate of 1.68 MHz (axial resolution - 12 μm, sensitivity - 105 dB, phase stability - 17 mrad). The speed of this OCT system allows us to acquire high-density B-scans to obtain an extended velocity dynamic range without sacrificing the frame rate. The extended dynamic range within a frame is achieved by varying the A-scan interval at which the phase difference is found, enabling detection of velocities ranging from tens of microns per second to hundreds of mm per second. The extra lines in a frame can also be utilized to improve the structural and Doppler images via complex averaging. In structural images where presence of blood causes additional scattering, complex averaging helps retrieve features located deeper in the tissue. Moreover, high-density frames can be registered to 4D volumes to determine the orthogonal direction of flow and calculate shear stress. In conclusion, our high-speed OCT system will enable automated Doppler imaging of embryonic hearts in cohort studies.

  11. Passive fetal heart rate monitoring apparatus and method with enhanced fetal heart beat discrimination

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zahorian, Stephen A. (Inventor); Livingston, David L. (Inventor); Pretlow, III, Robert A. (Inventor)

    1996-01-01

    An apparatus for acquiring signals emitted by a fetus, identifying fetal heart beats and determining a fetal heart rate. Multiple sensor signals are outputted by a passive fetal heart rate monitoring sensor. Multiple parallel nonlinear filters filter these multiple sensor signals to identify fetal heart beats in the signal data. A processor determines a fetal heart rate based on these identified fetal heart beats. The processor includes the use of a figure of merit weighting of heart rate estimates based on the identified heart beats from each filter for each signal. The fetal heart rate thus determined is outputted to a display, storage, or communications channel. A method for enhanced fetal heart beat discrimination includes acquiring signals from a fetus, identifying fetal heart beats from the signals by multiple parallel nonlinear filtering, and determining a fetal heart rate based on the identified fetal heart beats. A figure of merit operation in this method provides for weighting a plurality of fetal heart rate estimates based on the identified fetal heart beats and selecting the highest ranking fetal heart rate estimate.

  12. Passive fetal heart rate monitoring apparatus and method with enhanced fetal heart beat discrimination

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zahorian, Stephen A. (Inventor); Livingston, David L. (Inventor); Pretlow, Robert A., III (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    An apparatus for acquiring signals emitted by a fetus, identifying fetal heart beats and determining a fetal heart rate is presented. Multiple sensor signals are outputted by a passive fetal heart rate monitoring sensor. Multiple parallel nonlinear filters filter these multiple sensor signals to identify fetal heart beats in the signal data. A processor determines a fetal heart rate based on these identified fetal heart beats. The processor includes the use of a figure of merit weighting of heart rate estimates based on the identified heart beats from each filter for each signal. The fetal heart rate thus determined is outputted to a display, storage, or communications channel. A method for enhanced fetal heart beat discrimination includes acquiring signals from a fetus, identifying fetal heart beats from the signals by multiple parallel nonlinear filtering, and determining a fetal heart rate based on the identified fetal heart beats. A figure of merit operation in this method provides for weighting a plurality of fetal heart rate estimates based on the identified fetal heart beats and selecting the highest ranking fetal heart rate estimate.

  13. Heart rate biofeedback fails to enhance children's ability to identify time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity.

    PubMed

    Conley, Marguerite M; Gastin, Paul B; Brown, Helen; Shaw, Christine

    2011-03-01

    Physical activity recommendations for children in several countries advise that all young people should accumulate at least 60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Perceiving physical activity intensity, however, can be a difficult task for children and it is not clear whether children can identify their levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity in accordance with the recommended guidelines. This study aimed to (1) explore whether children can identify time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity; and (2) investigate whether heart rate biofeedback would improve children's ability to estimate time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Thirty seven children (15 boys and 22 girls, mean age 12.6 years) wore data recording Polar E600 heart rate monitors during eight physical education lessons. At the end of each lesson children's estimated time in zone was compared to their actual time in zone. During a six lesson Intervention phase, one class was assigned to a biofeedback group whilst the other class acted as the control group and received no heart rate biofeedback. Post-Intervention, students in the biofeedback group were no better than the control group at estimating time spent in zone (mean relative error of estimation biofeedback group: Pre-Intervention 41±32% to Post-Intervention 28±26%; control group: Pre-Intervention 40±39% to Post-Intervention 31±37%). Thus it seems that identifying time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity remains a complex task for children aged 11-13 even with the help of heart rate biofeedback. Copyright © 2010 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Sign and magnitude scaling properties of heart rate variability in patients with end-stage renal failure: Are these properties useful to identify pathophysiological adaptations?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lerma, Claudia; Echeverría, Juan C.; Infante, Oscar; Pérez-Grovas, Héctor; González-Gómez, Hortensia

    2017-09-01

    The scaling properties of heart rate variability data are reliable dynamical features to predict mortality and for the assessment of cardiovascular risk. The aim of this manuscript was to determine if the scaling properties, as provided by the sign and magnitude analysis, can be used to differentiate between pathological changes and those adaptations basically introduced by modifications of the mean heart rate in distinct manoeuvres (active standing or hemodialysis treatment, HD), as well as clinical conditions (end stage renal disease, ESRD). We found that in response to active standing, the short-term scaling index (α1) increased in healthy subjects and in ESRD patients only after HD. The sign short-term scaling exponent (α1sign) increased in healthy subjects and ESRD patients, showing a less anticorrelated behavior in active standing. Both α1 and α1sign did show covariance with the mean heart rate in healthy subjects, while in ESRD patients, this covariance was observed only after HD. A reliable estimation of the magnitude short-term scaling exponent (α1magn) required the analysis of time series with a large number of samples (>3000 data points). This exponent was similar for both groups and conditions and did not show covariance with the mean heart rate. A surrogate analysis confirmed the presence of multifractal properties (α1magn > 0.5) in the time series of healthy subjects and ESDR patients. In conclusion, α1 and α1sign provided insights into the physiological adaptations during active standing, which revealed a transitory impairment before HD in ESRD patients. The presence of multifractal properties indicated that a reduced short-term variability does not necessarily imply a declined regulatory complexity in these patients.

  15. Sign and magnitude scaling properties of heart rate variability in patients with end-stage renal failure: Are these properties useful to identify pathophysiological adaptations?

    PubMed

    Lerma, Claudia; Echeverría, Juan C; Infante, Oscar; Pérez-Grovas, Héctor; González-Gómez, Hortensia

    2017-09-01

    The scaling properties of heart rate variability data are reliable dynamical features to predict mortality and for the assessment of cardiovascular risk. The aim of this manuscript was to determine if the scaling properties, as provided by the sign and magnitude analysis, can be used to differentiate between pathological changes and those adaptations basically introduced by modifications of the mean heart rate in distinct manoeuvres (active standing or hemodialysis treatment, HD), as well as clinical conditions (end stage renal disease, ESRD). We found that in response to active standing, the short-term scaling index (α 1 ) increased in healthy subjects and in ESRD patients only after HD. The sign short-term scaling exponent (α 1sign ) increased in healthy subjects and ESRD patients, showing a less anticorrelated behavior in active standing. Both α 1 and α 1sign did show covariance with the mean heart rate in healthy subjects, while in ESRD patients, this covariance was observed only after HD. A reliable estimation of the magnitude short-term scaling exponent (α 1magn ) required the analysis of time series with a large number of samples (>3000 data points). This exponent was similar for both groups and conditions and did not show covariance with the mean heart rate. A surrogate analysis confirmed the presence of multifractal properties (α 1magn  > 0.5) in the time series of healthy subjects and ESDR patients. In conclusion, α 1 and α 1sign provided insights into the physiological adaptations during active standing, which revealed a transitory impairment before HD in ESRD patients. The presence of multifractal properties indicated that a reduced short-term variability does not necessarily imply a declined regulatory complexity in these patients.

  16. Evolving changes in fetal heart rate variability and brain injury after hypoxia-ischaemia in preterm fetal sheep.

    PubMed

    Yamaguchi, Kyohei; Lear, Christopher A; Beacom, Michael J; Ikeda, Tomoaki; Gunn, Alistair J; Bennet, Laura

    2018-01-08

    Fetal heart rate variability is a critical index of fetal wellbeing. Suppression of heart rate variability may provide prognostic information on the risk of hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury after birth. In the present study, we report the evolution of fetal heart rate variability after both mild and severe hypoxia-ischaemia. Both mild and severe hypoxia-ischaemia were associated with an initial, brief suppression of multiple measures of heart rate variability. This was followed by normal or increased levels of heart rate variability during the latent phase of injury. Severe hypoxia-ischaemia was subsequently associated with the prolonged suppression of measures of heart rate variability during the secondary phase of injury, which is the period of time when brain injury is no longer treatable. These findings suggest that a biphasic pattern of heart rate variability may be an early marker of brain injury when treatment or intervention is probably most effective. Hypoxia-ischaemia (HI) is a major contributor to preterm brain injury, although there are currently no reliable biomarkers for identifying infants who are at risk. We tested the hypothesis that fetal heart rate (FHR) and FHR variability (FHRV) would identify evolving brain injury after HI. Fetal sheep at 0.7 of gestation were subjected to either 15 (n = 10) or 25 min (n = 17) of complete umbilical cord occlusion or sham occlusion (n = 12). FHR and four measures of FHRV [short-term variation, long-term variation, standard deviation of normal to normal R-R intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences) were assessed until 72 h after HI. All measures of FHRV were suppressed for the first 3-4 h in the 15 min group and 1-2 h in the 25 min group. Measures of FHRV recovered to control levels by 4 h in the 15 min group, whereas the 25 min group showed tachycardia and an increase in short-term variation and SDNN from 4 to 6 h after occlusion. The measures of FHRV then progressively declined in the 25 min group and became profoundly suppressed from 18 to 48 h. A partial recovery of FHRV measures towards control levels was observed in the 25 min group from 49 to 72 h. These findings illustrate the complex regulation of FHRV after both mild and severe HI and suggest that the longitudinal analysis of FHR and FHRV after HI may be able to help determine the timing and severity of preterm HI. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2018 The Physiological Society.

  17. BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERISATION OF THE UNDER-APPRECIATED AND IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND HEART RATE

    PubMed Central

    Monfredi, Oliver; Lyashkov, Alexey E; Johnsen, Anne-Berit; Inada, Shin; Schneider, Heiko; Wang, Ruoxi; Nirmalan, Mahesh; Wisloff, Ulrik; Maltsev, Victor A; Lakatta, Edward G; Zhang, Henggui; Boyett, Mark R

    2014-01-01

    Heart rate variability (beat-to-beat changes in the RR interval) has attracted considerable attention over the last 30+ years (PubMed currently lists >17,000 publications). Clinically, a decrease in heart rate variability is correlated to higher morbidity and mortality in diverse conditions, from heart disease to foetal distress. It is usually attributed to fluctuation in cardiac autonomic nerve activity. We calculated heart rate variability parameters from a variety of cardiac preparations (including humans, living animals, Langendorff-perfused heart and single sinoatrial nodal cell) in diverse species, combining this with data from previously published papers. We show that regardless of conditions, there is a universal exponential decay-like relationship between heart rate variability and heart rate. Using two biophysical models, we develop a theory for this, and confirm that heart rate variability is primarily dependent on heart rate and cannot be used in any simple way to assess autonomic nerve activity to the heart. We suggest that the correlation between a change in heart rate variability and altered morbidity and mortality is substantially attributable to the concurrent change in heart rate. This calls for re-evaluation of the findings from many papers that have not adjusted properly or at all for heart rate differences when comparing heart rate variability in multiple circumstances. PMID:25225208

  18. Management of supraventricular arrhythmias in adults with congenital heart disease.

    PubMed

    Wasmer, Kristina; Eckardt, Lars

    2016-10-15

    Supraventricular arrhythmias are a frequent complication in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). The prevalence increases with time since surgery, complexity of the underlying defect, type of repair and older age at surgery. Arrhythmias are the most frequent reason for hospital admission and along with heart failure the leading cause of death. The arrhythmia-associated increase in morbidity and mortality makes their management a key task in patients with ACHD. Intra-atrial re-entry is the most frequent arrhythmia mechanism. Less common arrhythmia mechanisms are supraventricular tachycardias in the presence of an accessory pathway, atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia or focal tachycardias. Patient management includes stroke prevention, acute termination and prevention of arrhythmia recurrence. Acute treatment depends on patients' symptoms. In cases of haemodynamic instability, immediate cardioversion is warranted. For stable patients, acute treatment includes rate control and termination by antiarrhythmic drugs or electrical cardioversion. Following a symptomatic arrhythmia, catheter ablation or treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs is recommended to prevent recurrences. Advances in mapping and ablation technology are now associated with high success rates of catheter ablation. In patients with a complex substrate recurrence rates of 50% remain high. However, in the presence of side effects and complications associated with long-term antiarrhythmic drug therapy, redo procedures are encouraged by current guidelines. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  19. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Infants and Children With Cardiac Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

    PubMed

    Marino, Bradley S; Tabbutt, Sarah; MacLaren, Graeme; Hazinski, Mary Fran; Adatia, Ian; Atkins, Dianne L; Checchia, Paul A; DeCaen, Allan; Fink, Ericka L; Hoffman, George M; Jefferies, John L; Kleinman, Monica; Krawczeski, Catherine D; Licht, Daniel J; Macrae, Duncan; Ravishankar, Chitra; Samson, Ricardo A; Thiagarajan, Ravi R; Toms, Rune; Tweddell, James; Laussen, Peter C

    2018-05-29

    Cardiac arrest occurs at a higher rate in children with heart disease than in healthy children. Pediatric basic life support and advanced life support guidelines focus on delivering high-quality resuscitation in children with normal hearts. The complexity and variability in pediatric heart disease pose unique challenges during resuscitation. A writing group appointed by the American Heart Association reviewed the literature addressing resuscitation in children with heart disease. MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1966 to 2015, cross-referencing pediatric heart disease with pertinent resuscitation search terms. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association classification of recommendations and levels of evidence for practice guidelines were used. The recommendations in this statement concur with the critical components of the 2015 American Heart Association pediatric basic life support and pediatric advanced life support guidelines and are meant to serve as a resuscitation supplement. This statement is meant for caregivers of children with heart disease in the prehospital and in-hospital settings. Understanding the anatomy and physiology of the high-risk pediatric cardiac population will promote early recognition and treatment of decompensation to prevent cardiac arrest, increase survival from cardiac arrest by providing high-quality resuscitations, and improve outcomes with postresuscitation care. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

  20. An analysis of the effects of Mn{sup 2+} on oxidative phosphorylation in liver, brain, and heart mitochondria using state 3 oxidation rate assays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gunter, Thomas E., E-mail: thomas_gunter@urmc.rochester.ed; Gerstner, Brent, E-mail: brent_gerstner@urmc.rochester.ed; Lester, Tobias, E-mail: Tlester200@gmail.co

    2010-11-15

    Manganese (Mn) toxicity is partially mediated by reduced ATP production. We have used oxidation rate assays-a measure of ATP production-under rapid phosphorylation conditions to explore sites of Mn{sup 2+} inhibition of ATP production in isolated liver, brain, and heart mitochondria. This approach has several advantages. First, the target tissue for Mn toxicity in the basal ganglia is energetically active and should be studied under rapid phosphorylation conditions. Second, Mn may inhibit metabolic steps which do not affect ATP production rate. This approach allows identification of inhibitions that decrease this rate. Third, mitochondria from different tissues contain different amounts of themore » components of the metabolic pathways potentially resulting in different patterns of ATP inhibition. Our results indicate that Mn{sup 2+} inhibits ATP production with very different patterns in liver, brain, and heart mitochondria. The primary Mn{sup 2+} inhibition site in liver and heart mitochondria, but not in brain mitochondria, is the F{sub 1}F{sub 0} ATP synthase. In mitochondria fueled by either succinate or glutamate + malate, ATP production is much more strongly inhibited in brain than in liver or heart mitochondria; moreover, Mn{sup 2+} inhibits two independent sites in brain mitochondria. The primary site of Mn-induced inhibition of ATP production in brain mitochondria when succinate is substrate is either fumarase or complex II, while the likely site of the primary inhibition when glutamate plus malate are the substrates is either the glutamate/aspartate exchanger or aspartate aminotransferase.« less

  1. Non-contact estimation of heart rate and oxygen saturation using ambient light.

    PubMed

    Bal, Ufuk

    2015-01-01

    We propose a robust method for automated computation of heart rate (HR) from digital color video recordings of the human face. In order to extract photoplethysmographic signals, two orthogonal vectors of RGB color space are used. We used a dual tree complex wavelet transform based denoising algorithm to reduce artifacts (e.g. artificial lighting, movement, etc.). Most of the previous work on skin color based HR estimation performed experiments with healthy volunteers and focused to solve motion artifacts. In addition to healthy volunteers we performed experiments with child patients in pediatric intensive care units. In order to investigate the possible factors that affect the non-contact HR monitoring in a clinical environment, we studied the relation between hemoglobin levels and HR estimation errors. Low hemoglobin causes underestimation of HR. Nevertheless, we conclude that our method can provide acceptable accuracy to estimate mean HR of patients in a clinical environment, where the measurements can be performed remotely. In addition to mean heart rate estimation, we performed experiments to estimate oxygen saturation. We observed strong correlations between our SpO2 estimations and the commercial oximeter readings.

  2. Non-contact estimation of heart rate and oxygen saturation using ambient light

    PubMed Central

    Bal, Ufuk

    2014-01-01

    We propose a robust method for automated computation of heart rate (HR) from digital color video recordings of the human face. In order to extract photoplethysmographic signals, two orthogonal vectors of RGB color space are used. We used a dual tree complex wavelet transform based denoising algorithm to reduce artifacts (e.g. artificial lighting, movement, etc.). Most of the previous work on skin color based HR estimation performed experiments with healthy volunteers and focused to solve motion artifacts. In addition to healthy volunteers we performed experiments with child patients in pediatric intensive care units. In order to investigate the possible factors that affect the non-contact HR monitoring in a clinical environment, we studied the relation between hemoglobin levels and HR estimation errors. Low hemoglobin causes underestimation of HR. Nevertheless, we conclude that our method can provide acceptable accuracy to estimate mean HR of patients in a clinical environment, where the measurements can be performed remotely. In addition to mean heart rate estimation, we performed experiments to estimate oxygen saturation. We observed strong correlations between our SpO2 estimations and the commercial oximeter readings PMID:25657877

  3. Detecting drug-induced prolongation of the QRS complex: New insights for cardiac safety assessment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cros, C., E-mail: caroline.cros@hotmail.co.uk; Skinner, M., E-mail: Matthew.Skinner@astrazeneca.com; Moors, J.

    Background: Drugs slowing the conduction of the cardiac action potential and prolonging QRS complex duration by blocking the sodium current (I{sub Na}) may carry pro-arrhythmic risks. Due to the frequency-dependent block of I{sub Na}, this study assesses whether activity-related spontaneous increases in heart rate (HR) occurring during standard dog telemetry studies can be used to optimise the detection of class I antiarrhythmic-induced QRS prolongation. Methods: Telemetered dogs were orally dosed with quinidine (class Ia), mexiletine (class Ib) or flecainide (class Ic). QRS duration was determined standardly (5 beats averaged at rest) but also prior to and at the plateau ofmore » each acute increase in HR (3 beats averaged at steady state), and averaged over 1 h period from 1 h pre-dose to 5 h post-dose. Results: Compared to time-matched vehicle, at rest, only quinidine and flecainide induced increases in QRS duration (E{sub max} 13% and 20% respectively, P < 0.01–0.001) whereas mexiletine had no effect. Importantly, the increase in QRS duration was enhanced at peak HR with an additional effect of + 0.7 ± 0.5 ms (quinidine, NS), + 1.8 ± 0.8 ms (mexiletine, P < 0.05) and + 2.8 ± 0.8 ms (flecainide, P < 0.01) (calculated as QRS at basal HR-QRS at high HR). Conclusion: Electrocardiogram recordings during elevated HR, not considered during routine analysis optimised for detecting QT prolongation, can be used to sensitise the detection of QRS prolongation. This could prove useful when borderline QRS effects are detected. Analysing during acute increases in HR could also be useful for detecting drug-induced effects on other aspects of cardiac function. -- Highlights: ► We aimed to improve detection of drug-induced QRS prolongation in safety screening. ► We used telemetered dogs to test class I antiarrhythmics at low and high heart rate. ► At low heart rate only quinidine and flecainide induced an increase in QRS duration. ► At high heart rate the effects of two out of three antiarrhythmics were enhanced. ► Detection of a drug-induced prolongation of QRS was improved at high heart rate.« less

  4. [Recurrence plot analysis of HRV for brain ischemia and asphyxia].

    PubMed

    Chen, Xiaoming; Qiu, Yihong; Zhu, Yisheng

    2008-02-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV) is the tiny variability existing in the cycles of the heart beats, which reflects the corresponding balance between sympathetic and vagus nerves. Since the nonlinear characteristic of HRV is confirmed, the Recurrence Plot method, a nonlinear dynamic analysis method based on the complexity, could be used to analyze HRV. The results showed the recurrence plot structures and some quantitative indices (L-Mean, L-Entr) during asphyxia insult vary significantly as compared to those in normal conditions, which offer a new method to monitor brain asphyxia injury.

  5. Assessing Heart Rate in Physical Education. Assessment Series: K-12 Physical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buck, Marilyn M.

    This guide discusses the assessment of heart rate and, in particular, the assessment of heart rate using a heart monitor. Part 1, "Foundation for the Use of Heart Rate," reviews literature about heart rate assessment and heart rate monitors, offering an overview of national guidelines for physical activity. It focuses on the importance…

  6. Dynamical complexity changes during two forms of meditation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jin; Hu, Jing; Zhang, Yinhong; Zhang, Xiaofeng

    2011-06-01

    Detection of dynamical complexity changes in natural and man-made systems has deep scientific and practical meaning. We use the base-scale entropy method to analyze dynamical complexity changes for heart rate variability (HRV) series during specific traditional forms of Chinese Chi and Kundalini Yoga meditation techniques in healthy young adults. The results show that dynamical complexity decreases in meditation states for two forms of meditation. Meanwhile, we detected changes in probability distribution of m-words during meditation and explained this changes using probability distribution of sine function. The base-scale entropy method may be used on a wider range of physiologic signals.

  7. Cardiac resource utilization in adults at a freestanding children's hospital.

    PubMed

    Ermis, Peter; Dietzman, Thomas; Franklin, Wayne; Kim, Jeffrey; Moodie, Douglas; Parekh, Dhaval

    2014-01-01

    This article aims to give a comprehensive description of cardiac resource utilization in adults at a freestanding children's hospital. Retrospective chart review. Large, tertiary, freestanding children's hospital. Adults (18 years of age and older) seen within the heart center or evaluated by heart center personnel from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2010. There were 2794 adults that utilized cardiology services during the study period. The mean patient age was 23.5 ± 8.4 years (18-70.5). The 1748 (62.6%) patients had a diagnosis of congenital heart disease. There were a total of 525 catheterization laboratory encounters and 104 cardiac surgical procedures performed on adult patients during the 5-year study period. The in-hospital mortality for all invasive encounters was 0%. The minor adverse event rate for all invasive encounters was 6.7% and 4.8%, respectively. Also, the overall major adverse event rates were 1.9% and 4.8%, respectively. There were 162 cardiology evaluations performed on adults in the emergency room. There were a total of 5489 adult cardiology clinic visits. The most common congenital heart disease diagnoses were: tetralogy of Fallot: 228 (13%), D-transposition of the great arteries: 208 (11.9%), single ventricle physiology: 187 (10.7%), atrial septal defect 128: (7.3%), and ventricular septal defect: 117 (6.7%). Overall, the complexity of congenital heart disease was: simple: 41%, moderate: 37%, and complex: 22%. A significant and growing number of adult patients are currently being cared for at pediatric institutions. Excellent outcomes have been achieved at these centers with dedicated adult congenital heart disease services, consisting of both cardiologists and other faculty trained in adult medicine. Others with training in adult medicine, whether they be staff or contracted consulting services, are also required to help manage adult comorbidities. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Flow dynamics and energy efficiency of flow in the left ventricle during myocardial infarction.

    PubMed

    Vasudevan, Vivek; Low, Adriel Jia Jun; Annamalai, Sarayu Parimal; Sampath, Smita; Poh, Kian Keong; Totman, Teresa; Mazlan, Muhammad; Croft, Grace; Richards, A Mark; de Kleijn, Dominique P V; Chin, Chih-Liang; Yap, Choon Hwai

    2017-10-01

    Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, where myocardial infarction (MI) is a major category. After infarction, the heart has difficulty providing sufficient energy for circulation, and thus, understanding the heart's energy efficiency is important. We induced MI in a porcine animal model via circumflex ligation and acquired multiple-slice cine magnetic resonance (MR) images in a longitudinal manner-before infarction, and 1 week (acute) and 4 weeks (chronic) after infarction. Computational fluid dynamic simulations were performed based on MR images to obtain detailed fluid dynamics and energy dynamics of the left ventricles. Results showed that energy efficiency flow through the heart decreased at the acute time point. Since the heart was observed to experience changes in heart rate, stroke volume and chamber size over the two post-infarction time points, simulations were performed to test the effect of each of the three parameters. Increasing heart rate and stroke volume were found to significantly decrease flow energy efficiency, but the effect of chamber size was inconsistent. Strong complex interplay was observed between the three parameters, necessitating the use of non-dimensional parameterization to characterize flow energy efficiency. The ratio of Reynolds to Strouhal number, which is a form of Womersley number, was found to be the most effective non-dimensional parameter to represent energy efficiency of flow in the heart. We believe that this non-dimensional number can be computed for clinical cases via ultrasound and hypothesize that it can serve as a biomarker for clinical evaluations.

  9. A Complex Systems View of Sepsis: Implications for Nursing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-02-01

    resuscitation resulting from disease progres- sion and requiring vasopressor therapy.8 Ultimately, the onset of multiple organ failure is the result of loss of...Kattwinkel J, et al. Mortality reduc- tion by heart rate characteristicmonitoring in very lowbirthweight neonates : a randomized trial. J Pediatr. 2011;159(6

  10. Psychophysiology of Aggression, Psychopathy, and Conduct Problems: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lorber, Michael F.

    2004-01-01

    A meta-analysis of 95 studies was conducted to investigate the relations of heart rate (HR) and electrodermal activity (EDA) with aggression, psychopathy, and conduct problems. Analyses revealed a complex constellation of interactive effects, with a failure in some cases of autonomic patterns to generalize across antisocial spectrum behavior…

  11. Functional requirements of a mathematical model of the heart.

    PubMed

    Palladino, Joseph L; Noordergraaf, Abraham

    2009-01-01

    Functional descriptions of the heart, especially the left ventricle, are often based on the measured variables pressure and ventricular outflow, embodied as a time-varying elastance. The fundamental difficulty of describing the mechanical properties of the heart with a time-varying elastance function that is set a priori is described. As an alternative, a new functional model of the heart is presented, which characterizes the ventricle's contractile state with parameters, rather than variables. Each chamber is treated as a pressure generator that is time and volume dependent. The heart's complex dynamics develop from a single equation based on the formation and relaxation of crossbridge bonds. This equation permits the calculation of ventricular elastance via E(v) = partial differentialp(v)/ partial differentialV(v). This heart model is defined independently from load properties, and ventricular elastance is dynamic and reflects changing numbers of crossbridge bonds. In this paper, the functionality of this new heart model is presented via computed work loops that demonstrate the Frank-Starling mechanism and the effects of preload, the effects of afterload, inotropic changes, and varied heart rate, as well as the interdependence of these effects. Results suggest the origin of the equivalent of Hill's force-velocity relation in the ventricle.

  12. Effect of uterine contractions on fetal heart rate in pregnancy: a prospective observational study.

    PubMed

    Sletten, Julie; Kiserud, Torvid; Kessler, Jörg

    2016-10-01

    The new Holter monitoring technology enables long-term electrocardiographic recording of the fetal heart rate without discomfort for the mother. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of a fetal Holter monitor. This technology was further used to study fetal heart rate outside the hospital setting during normal daily activities and to test the hypothesis that uterine activity during pregnancy influences fetal heart rate. Prospective observational study including 12 healthy pregnant women at 20-40 weeks of gestation. Data were collected using the Monica AN24 system. Outcome measures were fetal heart rate, maternal heart rate, and uterine activity categorized according to the strength of the electrohysterographic signal. The recordings had a median length of 18.8 h, and fetal heart rate and maternal heart rate were obtained with success rates of 73.1 and 99.9%, respectively. Uterine activity was found to affect fetal heart rate in all participants. Compared with the basal tone and mild levels of uterine activity, moderate and strong levels of uterine activity were associated with increases in fetal heart rate of 4.0 and 5.7 beats/min, respectively. At night, the corresponding increases were 4.9 and 7.6 beats/min. Linear correlations were found between maternal heart rate and fetal heart rate in 11 of the 12 cases, with a mean coefficient beta of 0.189. Both maternal heart rate and fetal heart rate exhibited a diurnal pattern, with lower heart rates being recorded at night. Uterine activity during pregnancy is associated with a graded response in fetal heart rate and may represent a physiological challenge for the development and adaptation of the fetal cardiovascular system. © 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  13. Risk factors and outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrest following pediatric heart operations of varying complexity.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Punkaj; Rettiganti, Mallikarjuna; Jeffries, Howard E; Scanlon, Matthew C; Ghanayem, Nancy S; Daufeldt, Jennifer; Rice, Tom B; Wetzel, Randall C

    2016-08-01

    Multi center data regarding cardiac arrest in children undergoing heart operations of varying complexity are limited. Children <18 years undergoing heart surgery (with or without cardiopulmonary bypass) in the Virtual Pediatric Systems (VPS, LLC) Database (2009-2014) were included. Multivariable mixed logistic regression models were adjusted for patient's characteristics, surgical risk category (STS-EACTS Categories 1, 2, and 3 classified as "low" complexity and Categories 4 and 5 classified as "high" complexity), and hospital characteristics. Overall, 26,909 patients (62 centers) were included. Of these, 2.7% had cardiac arrest after cardiac surgery with an associated mortality of 31%. The prevalence of cardiac arrest was lower among patients undergoing low complexity operations (low complexity vs. high complexity: 1.7% vs. 5.9%). Unadjusted outcomes after cardiac arrest were significantly better among patients undergoing low complexity operations (mortality: 21.6% vs. 39.1%, good neurological outcomes: 78.7% vs. 71.6%). In adjusted models, odds of cardiac arrest were significantly lower among patients undergoing low complexity operations (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.46-0.66). Adjusted models, however, showed no difference in mortality or neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest regardless of surgical complexity. Further, our results suggest that incidence of cardiac arrest and mortality after cardiac arrest are a function of patient characteristics, surgical risk category, and hospital characteristics. Presence of around the clock in-house attending level pediatric intensivist coverage was associated with lower incidence of post-operative cardiac arrest, and presence of a dedicated cardiac ICU was associated with lower mortality after cardiac arrest. This study suggests that the patients undergoing high complexity operations are a higher risk group with increased prevalence of post-operative cardiac arrest. These data further suggest that patients undergoing high complexity operations can be rescued after cardiac arrest with a high survival rate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Novel application of multi dynamic trend analysis as a sensitive tool for detecting the effects of aging and congestive heart failure on heart rate variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Yu-Cheng; Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Lo, Men-Tzung; Peng, Chung-Kang; Huang, Norden E.; Yang, Cheryl C. H.; Kuo, Terry B. J.

    2016-02-01

    The complex fluctuations in heart rate variability (HRV) reflect cardiac autonomic modulation and are an indicator of congestive heart failure (CHF). This paper proposes a novel nonlinear approach to HRV investigation, the multi dynamic trend analysis (MDTA) method, based on the empirical mode decomposition algorithm of the Hilbert-Huang transform combined with a variable-sized sliding-window method. Electrocardiographic signal data obtained from the PhysioNet database were used. These data were from subjects with CHF (mean age = 59.4 ± 8.4), an age-matched elderly healthy control group (59.3 ± 10.6), and a healthy young group (30.3 ± 4.8); the HRVs of these subjects were processed using the MDTA method, time domain analysis, and frequency domain analysis. Among all HRV parameters, the MDTA absolute value slope (MDTS) and MDTA deviation (MDTD) exhibited the greatest area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics in distinguishing between the CHF group and the healthy controls (AUC = 1.000) and between the healthy elderly subject group and the young subject group (AUC = 0.834 ± 0.067 for MDTS; 0.837 ± 0.066 for MDTD). The CHF subjects presented with lower MDTA indices than those of the healthy elderly subject group. Furthermore, the healthy elderly subjects exhibited lower MDTA indices than those of the young controls. The MDTA method can adaptively and automatically identify the intrinsic fluctuation on variable temporal and spatial scales when investigating complex fluctuations in the cardiac autonomic regulation effects of aging and CHF.

  15. Effects of stress on heart rate complexity—A comparison between short-term and chronic stress

    PubMed Central

    Schubert, C.; Lambertz, M.; Nelesen, R.A.; Bardwell, W.; Choi, J.-B.; Dimsdale, J.E.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined chronic and short-term stress effects on heart rate variability (HRV), comparing time, frequency and phase domain (complexity) measures in 50 healthy adults. The hassles frequency subscale of the combined hassles and uplifts scale (CHUS) was used to measure chronic stress. Short-term stressor reactivity was assessed with a speech task. HRV measures were determined via surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Because respiration rate decreased during the speech task (p < .001), this study assessed the influence of respiration rate changes on the effects of interest. A series of repeated-measures analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) with Bonferroni adjustment revealed that short-term stress decreased HR D2 (calculated via the pointwise correlation dimension PD2) (p < .001), but increased HR mean (p < .001), standard deviation of R–R (SDRR) intervals (p < .001), low (LF) (p < .001) and high frequency band power (HF) (p = .009). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and LF/HF ratio did not change under short-term stress. Partial correlation adjusting for respiration rate showed that HR D2 was associated with chronic stress (r = −.35, p = .019). Differential effects of chronic and short-term stress were observed on several HRV measures. HR D2 decreased under both stress conditions reflecting lowered functionality of the cardiac pacemaker. The results confirm the importance of complexity metrics in modern stress research on HRV. PMID:19100813

  16. Heart rate and physical activity patterns in persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

    PubMed

    Waninge, Aly; van der Putten, Annette A J; Stewart, Roy E; Steenbergen, Bert; van Wijck, Ruud; van der Schans, Cees P

    2013-11-01

    Because physical fitness and health are related to physical activity, it is important to gain an insight into the physical activity levels of persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). The purpose of this study was to examine heart rate patterns to measure the activity levels of persons with PIMD and to analyze these heart rate patterns according to participant characteristics, observed level of activity, days, and time of day. The heart rate patterns of 24 participants with PIMD were measured continuously using a heart rate monitor for 8 h · d for a period of 6 days. Physical activity levels were measured with questionnaires. Data were analyzed using multilevel analysis. The results indicate that the participants use only 32% of their heart rate reserve over 6 days. The intensity of heart rate reserve ranged from 1 to 62%. On a given day, wide ranges in heart rates between participants and within persons were observed. Between days, only small ranges in the heart rate were found. The participants could be grouped into 4 classes according to their heart rate. In addition, factors such as time of day, physical activity, and age are significantly related to heart rate patterns. In conclusion, this study is an important first step in exploring activity patterns based on heart rate patterns in persons with PIMD. The participants used relatively small fractions of their heart rate reserves. Time of day and age appear to have a considerable influence on heart rate patterns. The observed classes in heart rate patterns suggest that other probably more personal and psychosocial factors have significant influences on heart rate patterns, as well.

  17. Infant health after heart surgery.

    PubMed

    2016-11-08

    Background The number of infants who survive initial surgery for complex congenital heart disease (CHD), such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, is increasing, but they are often left with residual complex health needs.

  18. Cuff-Free Blood Pressure Estimation Using Pulse Transit Time and Heart Rate.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ruiping; Jia, Wenyan; Mao, Zhi-Hong; Sclabassi, Robert J; Sun, Mingui

    2014-10-01

    It has been reported that the pulse transit time (PTT), the interval between the peak of the R-wave in electrocardiogram (ECG) and the fingertip photoplethysmogram (PPG), is related to arterial stiffness, and can be used to estimate the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). This phenomenon has been used as the basis to design portable systems for continuously cuff-less blood pressure measurement, benefiting numerous people with heart conditions. However, the PTT-based blood pressure estimation may not be sufficiently accurate because the regulation of blood pressure within the human body is a complex, multivariate physiological process. Considering the negative feedback mechanism in the blood pressure control, we introduce the heart rate (HR) and the blood pressure estimate in the previous step to obtain the current estimate. We validate this method using a clinical database. Our results show that the PTT, HR and previous estimate reduce the estimated error significantly when compared to the conventional PTT estimation approach (p<0.05).

  19. Activation of PPAR-α in the early stage of heart failure maintained myocardial function and energetics in pressure-overload heart failure.

    PubMed

    Kaimoto, Satoshi; Hoshino, Atsushi; Ariyoshi, Makoto; Okawa, Yoshifumi; Tateishi, Shuhei; Ono, Kazunori; Uchihashi, Motoki; Fukai, Kuniyoshi; Iwai-Kanai, Eri; Matoba, Satoaki

    2017-02-01

    Failing heart loses its metabolic flexibility, relying increasingly on glucose as its preferential substrate and decreasing fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α) is a key regulator of this substrate shift. However, its role during heart failure is complex and remains unclear. Recent studies reported that heart failure develops in the heart of myosin heavy chain-PPAR-α transgenic mice in a manner similar to that of diabetic cardiomyopathy, whereas cardiac dysfunction is enhanced in PPAR-α knockout mice in response to chronic pressure overload. We created a pressure-overload heart failure model in mice through transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and activated PPAR-α during heart failure using an inducible transgenic model. After 8 wk of TAC, left ventricular (LV) function had decreased with the reduction of PPAR-α expression in wild-type mice. We examined the effect of PPAR-α induction during heart failure using the Tet-Off system. Eight weeks after the TAC operation, LV construction was preserved significantly by PPAR-α induction with an increase in PPAR-α-targeted genes related to fatty acid metabolism. The increase of expression of fibrosis-related genes was significantly attenuated by PPAR-α induction. Metabolic rates measured by isolated heart perfusions showed a reduction in FAO and glucose oxidation in TAC hearts, but the rate of FAO preserved significantly owing to the induction of PPAR-α. Myocardial high-energy phosphates were significantly preserved by PPAR-α induction. These results suggest that PPAR-α activation during pressure-overloaded heart failure improved myocardial function and energetics. Thus activating PPAR-α and modulation of FAO could be a promising therapeutic strategy for heart failure. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study demonstrates the role of PPAR-α activation in the early stage of heart failure using an inducible transgenic mouse model. Induction of PPAR-α preserved heart function, and myocardial energetics. Activating PPAR-α and modulation of fatty acid oxidation could be a promising therapeutic strategy for heart failure. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  20. Are We Listening to Music or Noise? Use of the Lyapunov Exponent for Comprehensive Assessment of Heart Rate Complexity During Hemorrhage in Sedated Conscious Miniature Swine

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-09-01

    physiologic mechanisms underlying experimental observations: a practical example☆ Sven Zenker, Andreas Hoeft Department of Anaesthesiology and...to describe experi - mental data (goodness of fit) and its complexity (number of parameters). Their use in macroscopic physiologic investigations...BSP, and BRS could either be identical or vary across interventions, resulting in models with 4 to 12 parameters. After digitizing the experimental data

  1. Complexity and time asymmetry of heart rate variability are altered in acute mental stress.

    PubMed

    Visnovcova, Z; Mestanik, M; Javorka, M; Mokra, D; Gala, M; Jurko, A; Calkovska, A; Tonhajzerova, I

    2014-07-01

    We aimed to study the complexity and time asymmetry of short-term heart rate variability (HRV) as an index of complex neurocardiac control in response to stress using symbolic dynamics and time irreversibility methods. ECG was recorded at rest and during and after two stressors (Stroop, arithmetic test) in 70 healthy students. Symbolic dynamics parameters (NUPI, NCI, 0V%, 1V%, 2LV%, 2UV%), and time irreversibility indices (P%, G%, E) were evaluated. Additionally, HRV magnitude was quantified by linear parameters: spectral powers in low (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands. Our results showed a reduction of HRV complexity in stress (lower NUPI with both stressors, lower NCI with Stroop). Pattern classification analysis revealed significantly higher 0V% and lower 2LV% with both stressors, indicating a shift in sympathovagal balance, and significantly higher 1V% and lower 2UV% with Stroop. An unexpected result was found in time irreversibility: significantly lower G% and E with both stressors, P% index significantly declined only with arithmetic test. Linear HRV analysis confirmed vagal withdrawal (lower HF) with both stressors; LF significantly increased with Stroop and decreased with arithmetic test. Correlation analysis revealed no significant associations between symbolic dynamics and time irreversibility. Concluding, symbolic dynamics and time irreversibility could provide independent information related to alterations of neurocardiac control integrity in stress-related disease.

  2. Application of L1/2 regularization logistic method in heart disease diagnosis.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Bowen; Chai, Hua; Yang, Ziyi; Liang, Yong; Chu, Gejin; Liu, Xiaoying

    2014-01-01

    Heart disease has become the number one killer of human health, and its diagnosis depends on many features, such as age, blood pressure, heart rate and other dozens of physiological indicators. Although there are so many risk factors, doctors usually diagnose the disease depending on their intuition and experience, which requires a lot of knowledge and experience for correct determination. To find the hidden medical information in the existing clinical data is a noticeable and powerful approach in the study of heart disease diagnosis. In this paper, sparse logistic regression method is introduced to detect the key risk factors using L(1/2) regularization on the real heart disease data. Experimental results show that the sparse logistic L(1/2) regularization method achieves fewer but informative key features than Lasso, SCAD, MCP and Elastic net regularization approaches. Simultaneously, the proposed method can cut down the computational complexity, save cost and time to undergo medical tests and checkups, reduce the number of attributes needed to be taken from patients.

  3. Heart transplantation in adults with congenital heart disease.

    PubMed

    Houyel, Lucile; To-Dumortier, Ngoc-Tram; Lepers, Yannick; Petit, Jérôme; Roussin, Régine; Ly, Mohamed; Lebret, Emmanuel; Fadel, Elie; Hörer, Jürgen; Hascoët, Sébastien

    2017-05-01

    With the advances in congenital cardiac surgery and postoperative care, an increasing number of children with complex congenital heart disease now reach adulthood. There are already more adults than children living with a congenital heart defect, including patients with complex congenital heart defects. Among these adults with congenital heart disease, a significant number will develop ventricular dysfunction over time. Heart failure accounts for 26-42% of deaths in adults with congenital heart defects. Heart transplantation, or heart-lung transplantation in Eisenmenger syndrome, then becomes the ultimate therapeutic possibility for these patients. This population is deemed to be at high risk of mortality after heart transplantation, although their long-term survival is similar to that of patients transplanted for other reasons. Indeed, heart transplantation in adults with congenital heart disease is often challenging, because of several potential problems: complex cardiac and vascular anatomy, multiple previous palliative and corrective surgeries, and effects on other organs (kidney, liver, lungs) of long-standing cardiac dysfunction or cyanosis, with frequent elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance. In this review, we focus on the specific problems relating to heart and heart-lung transplantation in this population, revisit the indications/contraindications, and update the long-term outcomes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  4. Pictorial Review of Surgical Anatomy in Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

    PubMed

    De Cecco, Carlo N; Muscogiuri, Giuseppe; Madrid Pérez, José M; Eid, Marwen; Suranyi, Pal; Lesslie, Virginia W; Bastarrika, Gorka

    2017-07-01

    The survival rate of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) has dramatically improved over the last 2 decades because of technological and surgical advances in diagnosis and treatment, respectively. The vast majority of CHD patients are, in fact, amenable to treatment by either device closure or surgery. Considering the wide spectrum of surgical procedures and complex native and derived anatomy, continuous and detailed follow-up is of paramount importance. Cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography angiography are the cornerstones of diagnosis and follow-up of CHD, allowing for comprehensive noninvasive assessment of the heart, coronary tree, and intrathoracic great vessels, along with both morphological and functional evaluation. The aim of this pictorial review is to provide an overview of the most common CHDs and their related surgical procedures as familiarity with the radiological findings of grown-up congenital heart disease patients is crucial for proper diagnostic and follow-up pathways.

  5. Chaos in the heart: the interaction between body and mind

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Redington, Dana

    1993-11-01

    A number of factors influence the chaotic dynamics of heart function. Genetics, age, sex, disease, the environment, experience, and of course the mind, play roles in influencing cardiovascular dynamics. The mind is of particular interest because it is an emergent phenomenon of the body admittedly seated and co-occurrent in the brain. The brain serves as the body's controller, and commands the heart through complex multipathway feedback loops. Structures deep within the brain, the hypothalamus and other centers in the brainstem, modulate heart function, partially as a result of afferent input from the body but also a result of higher mental processes. What can chaos in the body, i.e., the nonlinear dynamics of the heart, tell of the mind? This paper presents a brief overview of the spectral structure of heart rate activity followed by a summary of experimental results based on phase space analysis of data from semi-structured interviews. This paper then describes preliminary quantification of cardiovascular dynamics during different stressor conditions in an effort to apply more quantitative methods to clinical data.

  6. Influence of ECG sampling rate in fetal heart rate variability analysis.

    PubMed

    De Jonckheere, J; Garabedian, C; Charlier, P; Champion, C; Servan-Schreiber, E; Storme, L; Debarge, V; Jeanne, M; Logier, R

    2017-07-01

    Fetal hypoxia results in a fetal blood acidosis (pH<;7.10). In such a situation, the fetus develops several adaptation mechanisms regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Many studies demonstrated significant changes in heart rate variability in hypoxic fetuses. So, fetal heart rate variability analysis could be of precious help for fetal hypoxia prediction. Commonly used fetal heart rate variability analysis methods have been shown to be sensitive to the ECG signal sampling rate. Indeed, a low sampling rate could induce variability in the heart beat detection which will alter the heart rate variability estimation. In this paper, we introduce an original fetal heart rate variability analysis method. We hypothesize that this method will be less sensitive to ECG sampling frequency changes than common heart rate variability analysis methods. We then compared the results of this new heart rate variability analysis method with two different sampling frequencies (250-1000 Hz).

  7. Effect of Mobile Phone Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields on.

    PubMed

    Umar, Z U; Abubakar, M B; Ige, J; Igbokwe, U V; Mojiminiyi, F B O; Isezuo, S A

    2014-12-29

    Since cell phones emit radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs), this study tested the hypothesis that cell phones placed near the heart may interfere with the electrical rhythm of the heart or affect the blood pressure. Following informed consent, eighteen randomly selected apparently healthy male volunteers aged 21.44 ± 0.53 years had their blood pressure, pulse rates and ECG measured before and after acute exposure to a cell phone. The ECG parameters obtained were: heart rate (HR), QRS complex duration (QRS), PR interval (PR) and Corrected QT interval (QTc). Results are presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical analyses were done using two-tailed paired t test for blood pressure and pulse rate data and one way ANOVA with a post hoc Tukey test for the ECG data. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The blood pressure and pulse rates before and after exposure to the cell phone showed no significant difference. The ECG parameters (HR: beats/min, QRS:ms, PR:ms and QTc respectively) did not differ before (66.33 ± 2.50, 91.78 ± 1.36, 151.67 ± 5.39 and 395.44 ± 4.96), during (66.33 ± 2.40, 91.11 ± 1.61, 153.67 ± 5.06 and 394.33 ± 4.05) and after calls (67.22 ± 2.77, 91.11 ± 1.67, 157.44 ± 4.46 and 396.56 ± 4.93) compared to baseline (67.17 ± 2.19, 94.33 ± 1.57, 150.56 ± 4.93 and 399.56 ± 3.88). These results suggest that acute exposure to EMFs from cell phones placed near the heart may not interfere with the electrical activity of the heart or blood pressure in healthy individuals.

  8. A novel handheld device for use in remote patient monitoring of heart failure patients--design and preliminary validation on healthy subjects.

    PubMed

    Pollonini, Luca; Rajan, Nithin O; Xu, Shuai; Madala, Sridhar; Dacso, Clifford C

    2012-04-01

    Remote patient monitoring (RPM) holds great promise for reducing the burden of congestive heart failure (CHF). Improved sensor technology and effective predictive algorithms can anticipate sudden decompensation events. Enhanced telemonitoring systems would promote patient independence and facilitate communication between patients and their physicians. We report the development of a novel hand-held device, called Blue Box, capable of collecting and wirelessly transmitting key cardiac parameters derived from three integrated biosensors: 2 lead electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmography and bioelectrical impedance (bioimpedance). Blue Box measurements include time intervals between consecutive ECG R-waves (RR interval), time duration of the ECG complex formed by the Q, R and S waves (QRS duration), bioimpedance, heart rate and systolic time intervals. In this study, we recruited 24 healthy subjects to collect several parameters measured by Blue Box and assess their value in correlating with cardiac output measured with Echo-Doppler. Linear correlation between the heart rate measured with Blue Box and cardiac output from Echo-Doppler had a group average correlation coefficient of 0.80. We found that systolic time intervals did not improve the model significantly. However, STIs did inversely correlate with increasing workloads.

  9. Lessons from the Heart: Individualizing Physical Education with Heart Rate Monitors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirkpatrick, Beth; Birnbaum, Burton H.

    Learning about the relationship between heart rate and physical activity is an important aspect of fitness education. Use of a heart rate monitor (HRM) helps a student to understand how stretching and large muscle movements gradually increase the heart rate and blood flow, and enables students to measure their exercise heart rates and set goals…

  10. Heart rate monitoring mobile applications.

    PubMed

    Chaudhry, Beenish M

    2016-01-01

    Total number of times a heart beats in a minute is known as the heart rate. Traditionally, heart rate was measured using clunky gadgets but these days it can be measured with a smartphone's camera. This can help you measure your heart rate anywhere and at anytime, especially during workouts so you can adjust your workout intensity to achieve maximum health benefits. With simple and easy to use mobile app, 'Unique Heart Rate Monitor', you can also maintain your heart rate history for personal reflection and sharing with a provider.

  11. Ecogeographic Genetic Epidemiology

    PubMed Central

    Sloan, Chantel D.; Duell, Eric J.; Shi, Xun; Irwin, Rebecca; Andrew, Angeline S.; Williams, Scott M.; Moore, Jason H.

    2009-01-01

    Complex diseases such as cancer and heart disease result from interactions between an individual's genetics and environment, i.e. their human ecology. Rates of complex diseases have consistently demonstrated geographic patterns of incidence, or spatial “clusters” of increased incidence relative to the general population. Likewise, genetic subpopulations and environmental influences are not evenly distributed across space. Merging appropriate methods from genetic epidemiology, ecology and geography will provide a more complete understanding of the spatial interactions between genetics and environment that result in spatial patterning of disease rates. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which are tools designed specifically for dealing with geographic data and performing spatial analyses to determine their relationship, are key to this kind of data integration. Here the authors introduce a new interdisciplinary paradigm, ecogeographic genetic epidemiology, which uses GIS and spatial statistical analyses to layer genetic subpopulation and environmental data with disease rates and thereby discern the complex gene-environment interactions which result in spatial patterns of incidence. PMID:19025788

  12. Comparative study of the Aristotle Comprehensive Complexity and the Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery scores.

    PubMed

    Bojan, Mirela; Gerelli, Sébastien; Gioanni, Simone; Pouard, Philippe; Vouhé, Pascal

    2011-09-01

    The Aristotle Comprehensive Complexity (ACC) and the Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS-1) scores have been proposed for complexity adjustment in the analysis of outcome after congenital heart surgery. Previous studies found RACHS-1 to be a better predictor of outcome than the Aristotle Basic Complexity score. We compared the ability to predict operative mortality and morbidity between ACC, the latest update of the Aristotle method and RACHS-1. Morbidity was assessed by length of intensive care unit stay. We retrospectively enrolled patients undergoing congenital heart surgery. We modeled each score as a continuous variable, mortality as a binary variable, and length of stay as a censored variable. We compared performance between mortality and morbidity models using likelihood ratio tests for nested models and paired concordance statistics. Among all 1,384 patients enrolled, 30-day mortality rate was 3.5% and median length of intensive care unit stay was 3 days. Both scores strongly related to mortality, but ACC made better prediction than RACHS-1; c-indexes 0.87 (0.84, 0.91) vs 0.75 (0.65, 0.82). Both scores related to overall length of stay only during the first postoperative week, but ACC made better predictions than RACHS-1; U statistic=0.22, p<0.001. No significant difference was noted after adjusting RACHS-1 models on age, prematurity, and major extracardiac abnormalities. The ACC was a better predictor of operative mortality and length of intensive care unit stay than RACHS-1. In order to achieve similar performance, regression models including RACHS-1 need to be further adjusted on age, prematurity, and major extracardiac abnormalities. Copyright © 2011 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. An Efficient Biometric-Based Algorithm Using Heart Rate Variability for Securing Body Sensor Networks

    PubMed Central

    Pirbhulal, Sandeep; Zhang, Heye; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas Chandra; Li, Chunyue; Wang, Yumei; Li, Guanglin; Wu, Wanqing; Zhang, Yuan-Ting

    2015-01-01

    Body Sensor Network (BSN) is a network of several associated sensor nodes on, inside or around the human body to monitor vital signals, such as, Electroencephalogram (EEG), Photoplethysmography (PPG), Electrocardiogram (ECG), etc. Each sensor node in BSN delivers major information; therefore, it is very significant to provide data confidentiality and security. All existing approaches to secure BSN are based on complex cryptographic key generation procedures, which not only demands high resource utilization and computation time, but also consumes large amount of energy, power and memory during data transmission. However, it is indispensable to put forward energy efficient and computationally less complex authentication technique for BSN. In this paper, a novel biometric-based algorithm is proposed, which utilizes Heart Rate Variability (HRV) for simple key generation process to secure BSN. Our proposed algorithm is compared with three data authentication techniques, namely Physiological Signal based Key Agreement (PSKA), Data Encryption Standard (DES) and Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA). Simulation is performed in Matlab and results suggest that proposed algorithm is quite efficient in terms of transmission time utilization, average remaining energy and total power consumption. PMID:26131666

  14. An Efficient Biometric-Based Algorithm Using Heart Rate Variability for Securing Body Sensor Networks.

    PubMed

    Pirbhulal, Sandeep; Zhang, Heye; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas Chandra; Li, Chunyue; Wang, Yumei; Li, Guanglin; Wu, Wanqing; Zhang, Yuan-Ting

    2015-06-26

    Body Sensor Network (BSN) is a network of several associated sensor nodes on, inside or around the human body to monitor vital signals, such as, Electroencephalogram (EEG), Photoplethysmography (PPG), Electrocardiogram (ECG), etc. Each sensor node in BSN delivers major information; therefore, it is very significant to provide data confidentiality and security. All existing approaches to secure BSN are based on complex cryptographic key generation procedures, which not only demands high resource utilization and computation time, but also consumes large amount of energy, power and memory during data transmission. However, it is indispensable to put forward energy efficient and computationally less complex authentication technique for BSN. In this paper, a novel biometric-based algorithm is proposed, which utilizes Heart Rate Variability (HRV) for simple key generation process to secure BSN. Our proposed algorithm is compared with three data authentication techniques, namely Physiological Signal based Key Agreement (PSKA), Data Encryption Standard (DES) and Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA). Simulation is performed in Matlab and results suggest that proposed algorithm is quite efficient in terms of transmission time utilization, average remaining energy and total power consumption.

  15. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations.

    PubMed

    Boudoulas, Konstantinos Dean; Borer, Jeffrey S; Boudoulas, Harisios

    2015-01-01

    It has long been known that life span is inversely related to resting heart rate in most organisms. This association between heart rate and survival has been attributed to the metabolic rate, which is greater in smaller animals and is directly associated with heart rate. Studies have shown that heart rate is related to survival in apparently healthy individuals and in patients with different underlying cardiovascular diseases. A decrease in heart rate due to therapeutic interventions may result in an increase in survival. However, there are many factors regulating heart rate, and it is quite plausible that these may independently affect life expectancy. Nonetheless, a fast heart rate itself affects the cardiovascular system in multiple ways (it increases ventricular work, myocardial oxygen consumption, endothelial stress, aortic/arterial stiffness, decreases myocardial oxygen supply, other) which, in turn, may affect survival. In this brief review, the effects of heart rate on the heart, arterial system and survival will be discussed. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Cardiorespiratory interactions previously identified as mammalian are present in the primitive lungfish

    PubMed Central

    Monteiro, Diana A.; Taylor, Edwin W.; Sartori, Marina R.; Cruz, André L.; Rantin, Francisco T.; Leite, Cleo A. C.

    2018-01-01

    The present study has revealed that the lungfish has both structural and functional features of its system for physiological control of heart rate, previously considered solely mammalian, that together generate variability (HRV). Ultrastructural and electrophysiological investigation revealed that the nerves connecting the brain to the heart are myelinated, conferring rapid conduction velocities, comparable to mammalian fibers that generate instantaneous changes in heart rate at the onset of each air breath. These respiration-related changes in beat-to-beat cardiac intervals were detected by complex analysis of HRV and shown to maximize oxygen uptake per breath, a causal relationship never conclusively demonstrated in mammals. Cardiac vagal preganglionic neurons, responsible for controlling heart rate via the parasympathetic vagus nerve, were shown to have multiple locations, chiefly within the dorsal vagal motor nucleus that may enable interactive control of the circulatory and respiratory systems, similar to that described for tetrapods. The present illustration of an apparently highly evolved control system for HRV in a fish with a proven ancient lineage, based on paleontological, morphological, and recent genetic evidence, questions much of the anthropocentric thinking implied by some mammalian physiologists and encouraged by many psychobiologists. It is possible that some characteristics of mammalian respiratory sinus arrhythmia, for which functional roles have been sought, are evolutionary relics that had their physiological role defined in ancient representatives of the vertebrates with undivided circulatory systems. PMID:29507882

  17. Cardiorespiratory interactions previously identified as mammalian are present in the primitive lungfish.

    PubMed

    Monteiro, Diana A; Taylor, Edwin W; Sartori, Marina R; Cruz, André L; Rantin, Francisco T; Leite, Cleo A C

    2018-02-01

    The present study has revealed that the lungfish has both structural and functional features of its system for physiological control of heart rate, previously considered solely mammalian, that together generate variability (HRV). Ultrastructural and electrophysiological investigation revealed that the nerves connecting the brain to the heart are myelinated, conferring rapid conduction velocities, comparable to mammalian fibers that generate instantaneous changes in heart rate at the onset of each air breath. These respiration-related changes in beat-to-beat cardiac intervals were detected by complex analysis of HRV and shown to maximize oxygen uptake per breath, a causal relationship never conclusively demonstrated in mammals. Cardiac vagal preganglionic neurons, responsible for controlling heart rate via the parasympathetic vagus nerve, were shown to have multiple locations, chiefly within the dorsal vagal motor nucleus that may enable interactive control of the circulatory and respiratory systems, similar to that described for tetrapods. The present illustration of an apparently highly evolved control system for HRV in a fish with a proven ancient lineage, based on paleontological, morphological, and recent genetic evidence, questions much of the anthropocentric thinking implied by some mammalian physiologists and encouraged by many psychobiologists. It is possible that some characteristics of mammalian respiratory sinus arrhythmia, for which functional roles have been sought, are evolutionary relics that had their physiological role defined in ancient representatives of the vertebrates with undivided circulatory systems.

  18. Resting Heart Rate and Outcomes in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: Where Do We Currently Stand?

    PubMed Central

    Menown, Ian BA; Davies, Simon; Gupta, Sandeep; Kalra, Paul R; Lang, Chim C; Morley, Chris; Padmanabhan, Sandosh

    2013-01-01

    Background Data from large epidemiological studies suggest that elevated heart rate is independently associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in patients with hypertension and in those with established cardiovascular disease. Clinical trial findings also suggest that the favorable effects of beta-blockers and other heart rate–lowering agents in patients with acute myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure may be, at least in part, due to their heart rate–lowering effects. Contemporary clinical outcome prediction models such as the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score include admission heart rate as an independent risk factor. Aims This article critically reviews the key epidemiology concerning heart rate and cardiovascular risk, potential mechanisms through which an elevated resting heart rate may be disadvantageous and evaluates clinical trial outcomes associated with pharmacological reduction in resting heart rate. Conclusions Prospective randomised data from patients with significant coronary heart disease or heart failure suggest that intervention to reduce heart rate in those with a resting heart rate >70 bpm may reduce cardiovascular risk. Given the established observational data and randomised trial evidence, it now appears appropriate to include reduction of elevated resting heart rate by lifestyle +/− pharmacological therapy as part of a secondary prevention strategy in patients with cardiovascular disease. PMID:22954325

  19. Prenatal Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (m TORC1) Inhibition by Rapamycin Treatment of Pregnant Mice Causes Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Alters Postnatal Cardiac Growth, Morphology, and Function.

    PubMed

    Hennig, Maria; Fiedler, Saskia; Jux, Christian; Thierfelder, Ludwig; Drenckhahn, Jörg-Detlef

    2017-08-04

    Fetal growth impacts cardiovascular health throughout postnatal life in humans. Various animal models of intrauterine growth restriction exhibit reduced heart size at birth, which negatively influences cardiac function in adulthood. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) integrates nutrient and growth factor availability with cell growth, thereby regulating organ size. This study aimed at elucidating a possible involvement of mTORC1 in intrauterine growth restriction and prenatal heart growth. We inhibited mTORC1 in fetal mice by rapamycin treatment of pregnant dams in late gestation. Prenatal rapamycin treatment reduces mTORC1 activity in various organs at birth, which is fully restored by postnatal day 3. Rapamycin-treated neonates exhibit a 16% reduction in body weight compared with vehicle-treated controls. Heart weight decreases by 35%, resulting in a significantly reduced heart weight/body weight ratio, smaller left ventricular dimensions, and reduced cardiac output in rapamycin- versus vehicle-treated mice at birth. Although proliferation rates in neonatal rapamycin-treated hearts are unaffected, cardiomyocyte size is reduced, and apoptosis increased compared with vehicle-treated neonates. Rapamycin-treated mice exhibit postnatal catch-up growth, but body weight and left ventricular mass remain reduced in adulthood. Prenatal mTORC1 inhibition causes a reduction in cardiomyocyte number in adult hearts compared with controls, which is partially compensated for by an increased cardiomyocyte volume, resulting in normal cardiac function without maladaptive left ventricular remodeling. Prenatal rapamycin treatment of pregnant dams represents a new mouse model of intrauterine growth restriction and identifies an important role of mTORC1 in perinatal cardiac growth. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

  20. Effects of amitriptyline and clomipramine in the isolated, perfused rabbit heart.

    PubMed

    Nielsen-Kudsk, F; Quist, S

    1980-04-01

    The cardiac effects of supratherapeutic concentrations of two tricyclic antidepressants were studied in isolated rabbit hearts, which were perfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit solution containing 0.25 or 0.50 micrograms ml-1 of amitriptyline or 0.28 micrograms mg-1 of clomipramine. The following parameters were continuously recorded:heart rate, amplitude and rate of contraction, coronary flow rate, myocardial oxygen consumption and ECG. The lowest concentration of amitriptyline caused a time correlated decrease (20%) in the frequency of spontaneous beating and a pronounced decrease in the amplitude (62%) and rate of cardiac contraction (58%). Maximum increases of the PQ-interval of about 46% and of the QRS-complex of about 100% were observed. At the higher amitriptyline concentration these effect further increased. Clomipramine 0.28 micrograms ml-1 also had a very pronounced and time correlated negative inotropic effect, but the effects upon the conduction velocities were substantially lesser than those produced by the equimilar concentration of amitriptyline. The compounds caused only insignificant changes in coronary flow. The oxygen consumption did not decrease in proportion to the decrease in contractility, as an expression of decreased myocardial efficiency. The effects of the drugs are discussed in relation to theri myocardial accumulation pharmacokinetics and influence upon the membraneous sodium and calcium flux and intracellular metabolism.

  1. Anesthetic management of the neonate with congenital complete heart block: a 16-year review.

    PubMed

    Kussman, Barry D; Madril, Danielle R; Thiagarajan, Ravi R; Walsh, Edward P; Laussen, Peter C

    2005-12-01

    Anesthesia for patients with complete heart block can be associated with significant hemodynamic instability. The aim of this study is to review our anesthetic experience of neonates with congenital complete heart block (CCHB) who underwent placement of either a temporary epicardial pacing system or a permanent epicardial pacemaker. The anesthetic management of neonates with CCHB who underwent pacemaker placement at a single institution over a 16-year period was reviewed. Twenty-four neonates were identified, 17 with a structurally normal heart (NL) and seven with associated congenital heart defects (CHD). Median (range) gestational age was 36.9 (26-41) weeks, birth weight 2.9 (1.0-4.1) kg, and baseline heart rate 47 (38-80) b.min(-1). A temporary epicardial pacing system was placed in six patients (four CHD, two NL; P = 0.003) following institution of mechanical ventilation and inotropic support for a low cardiac output state, and a permanent epicardial pacemaker was placed in 18 patients. Atropine 0.02 mg.kg(-1) IV prior to induction (n = 5) increased heart rate less than 20%. Intraoperative hypotension was documented in nine neonates, five of seven with CHD and four of 17 with NL (P = 0.02). In four patients (44%) hypotension occurred despite concurrent inotropic support. Intraoperative cardiac arrest occurred in one neonate, necessitating institution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Two patients (8.3%) died in hospital from complex CHD and complications of prematurity. Early institution of mechanical ventilation, inotropic support and pacing are necessary in the neonate with CCHB and poor hemodynamic function, particularly with coexisting CHD or prematurity.

  2. The mitochondrial uniporter controls fight or flight heart rate increases.

    PubMed

    Wu, Yuejin; Rasmussen, Tyler P; Koval, Olha M; Joiner, Mei-Ling A; Hall, Duane D; Chen, Biyi; Luczak, Elizabeth D; Wang, Qiongling; Rokita, Adam G; Wehrens, Xander H T; Song, Long-Sheng; Anderson, Mark E

    2015-01-20

    Heart rate increases are a fundamental adaptation to physiological stress, while inappropriate heart rate increases are resistant to current therapies. However, the metabolic mechanisms driving heart rate acceleration in cardiac pacemaker cells remain incompletely understood. The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) facilitates calcium entry into the mitochondrial matrix to stimulate metabolism. We developed mice with myocardial MCU inhibition by transgenic expression of a dominant-negative (DN) MCU. Here, we show that DN-MCU mice had normal resting heart rates but were incapable of physiological fight or flight heart rate acceleration. We found that MCU function was essential for rapidly increasing mitochondrial calcium in pacemaker cells and that MCU-enhanced oxidative phoshorylation was required to accelerate reloading of an intracellular calcium compartment before each heartbeat. Our findings show that MCU is necessary for complete physiological heart rate acceleration and suggest that MCU inhibition could reduce inappropriate heart rate increases without affecting resting heart rate.

  3. Heart Rate Dynamics During A Treadmill Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test in Optimized Beta-Blocked Heart Failure Patients

    PubMed Central

    Carvalho, Vitor Oliveira; Guimarães, Guilherme Veiga; Ciolac, Emmanuel Gomes; Bocchi, Edimar Alcides

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND Calculating the maximum heart rate for age is one method to characterize the maximum effort of an individual. Although this method is commonly used, little is known about heart rate dynamics in optimized beta-blocked heart failure patients. AIM The aim of this study was to evaluate heart rate dynamics (basal, peak and % heart rate increase) in optimized beta-blocked heart failure patients compared to sedentary, normal individuals (controls) during a treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test. METHODS Twenty-five heart failure patients (49±11 years, 76% male), with an average LVEF of 30±7%, and fourteen controls were included in the study. Patients with atrial fibrillation, a pacemaker or noncardiovascular functional limitations or whose drug therapy was not optimized were excluded. Optimization was considered to be 50 mg/day or more of carvedilol, with a basal heart rate between 50 to 60 bpm that was maintained for 3 months. RESULTS Basal heart rate was lower in heart failure patients (57±3 bpm) compared to controls (89±14 bpm; p<0.0001). Similarly, the peak heart rate (% maximum predicted for age) was lower in HF patients (65.4±11.1%) compared to controls (98.6±2.2; p<0.0001). Maximum respiratory exchange ratio did not differ between the groups (1.2±0.5 for controls and 1.15±1 for heart failure patients; p=0.42). All controls reached the maximum heart rate for their age, while no patients in the heart failure group reached the maximum. Moreover, the % increase of heart rate from rest to peak exercise between heart failure (48±9%) and control (53±8%) was not different (p=0.157). CONCLUSION No patient in the heart failure group reached the maximum heart rate for their age during a treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test, despite the fact that the percentage increase of heart rate was similar to sedentary normal subjects. A heart rate increase in optimized beta-blocked heart failure patients during cardiopulmonary exercise test over 65% of the maximum age-adjusted value should be considered an effort near the maximum. This information may be useful in rehabilitation programs and ischemic tests, although further studies are required. PMID:18719758

  4. Fast and fuel efficient? Optimal use of wind by flying albatrosses.

    PubMed

    Weimerskirch, H; Guionnet, T; Martin, J; Shaffer, S A; Costa, D P

    2000-09-22

    The influence of wind patterns on behaviour and effort of free-ranging male wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) was studied with miniaturized external heart-rate recorders in conjunction with satellite transmitters and activity recorders. Heart rate was used as an instantaneous index of energy expenditure. When cruising with favourable tail or side winds, wandering albatrosses can achieve high flight speeds while expending little more energy than birds resting on land. In contrast, heart rate increases concomitantly with increasing head winds, and flight speeds decrease. Our results show that effort is greatest when albatrosses take off from or land on the water. On a larger scale, we show that in order for birds to have the highest probability of experiencing favourable winds, wandering albatrosses use predictable weather systems to engage in a stereotypical flight pattern of large looping tracks. When heading north, albatrosses fly in anticlockwise loops, and to the south, movements are in a clockwise direction. Thus, the capacity to integrate instantaneous eco-physiological measures with records of large-scale flight and wind patterns allows us to understand better the complex interplay between the evolution of morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations of albatrosses in the windiest place on earth.

  5. When an Increase in Central Systolic Pressure Overrides the Benefits of Heart Rate Lowering.

    PubMed

    Messerli, Franz H; Rimoldi, Stefano F; Bangalore, Sripal; Bavishi, Chirag; Laurent, Stephane

    2016-08-16

    An elevated resting heart rate has been unequivocally linked to adverse cardiovascular events. Conversely, a physiologically low heart rate may confer longevity benefits. Moreover, pharmacological heart rate lowering reduces cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure, with the magnitude of the reduction associated with survival benefit. In contrast, pharmacological heart rate lowering paradoxically increases cardiovascular events in hypertension, possibly because it elicits a ventricular-vascular mismatch, leading to increased central systolic blood pressure (BP). By the same hemodynamic mechanism, pharmacological heart rate lowering also engenders an increase in central (aortic) BP in coronary heart disease and, as a consequence, fails to decrease myocardial oxygen consumption. Whether in heart failure, hypertension, or coronary heart disease, or even athletes, heart rate lowering consistently increases central systolic pressure. The increase in central systolic BP is prone to abolish the potential benefits of heart rate lowering interventions, possibly accounting for failure to reduce outcomes in patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Heart rate monitoring mobile applications

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Total number of times a heart beats in a minute is known as the heart rate. Traditionally, heart rate was measured using clunky gadgets but these days it can be measured with a smartphone’s camera. This can help you measure your heart rate anywhere and at anytime, especially during workouts so you can adjust your workout intensity to achieve maximum health benefits. With simple and easy to use mobile app, ‘Unique Heart Rate Monitor’, you can also maintain your heart rate history for personal reflection and sharing with a provider. PMID:28293594

  7. Pharmacological heart rate lowering in patients with a preserved ejection fraction-review of a failing concept.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Markus; Rambod, Mehdi; LeWinter, Martin

    2018-07-01

    Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that high resting heart rates are associated with increased mortality. Clinical studies in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction have shown that heart rate lowering with beta-blockers and ivabradine improves survival. It is therefore often assumed that heart rate lowering is beneficial in other patients as well. Here, we critically appraise the effects of pharmacological heart rate lowering in patients with both normal and reduced ejection fraction with an emphasis on the effects of pharmacological heart rate lowering in hypertension and heart failure. Emerging evidence from recent clinical trials and meta-analyses suggest that pharmacological heart rate lowering is not beneficial in patients with a normal or preserved ejection fraction. This has just begun to be reflected in some but not all guideline recommendations. The detrimental effects of pharmacological heart rate lowering are due to an increase in central blood pressures, higher left ventricular systolic and diastolic pressures, and increased ventricular wall stress. Therefore, we propose that heart rate lowering per se reproduces the hemodynamic effects of diastolic dysfunction and imposes an increased arterial load on the left ventricle, which combine to increase the risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Pharmacologic heart rate lowering is clearly beneficial in patients with a dilated cardiomyopathy but not in patients with normal chamber dimensions and normal systolic function. These conflicting effects can be explained based on a model that considers the hemodynamic and ventricular structural effects of heart rate changes.

  8. Changes in Heart Rate Associated with Exenatide Once Weekly: Pooled Analysis of Clinical Data in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Marso, Steven P; Hardy, Elise; Han, Jenny; Wang, Hui; Chilton, Robert J

    2018-04-01

    Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) improve glycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, but heart rate increases have been observed. A pooled post hoc analysis of 11 randomized clinical trials (N = 4595) of 10-30 weeks' duration from the exenatide once-weekly (QW) development program evaluated heart rate with exenatide QW (intervention group) and exenatide twice daily (BID), liraglutide, and non-GLP-1RAs (insulin, metformin, pioglitazone, and sitagliptin) (comparison groups). The time course and size of heart rate changes from baseline and the relationship of heart rate change with baseline heart rate were studied. A multivariate analysis (9 studies; N = 3903) examined associations between patient characteristics or treatments and heart rate increases. Mean baseline heart rate ± standard deviation was 75.0 ± 8.5 beats per minute (bpm) with exenatide QW (n = 2096), 75.8 ± 8.7 bpm with exenatide BID (n = 606), 75.2 ± 8.9 bpm with liraglutide (n = 450), and 74.5 ± 8.6 bpm with non-GLP-1RAs (n = 1443). Least-squares mean ± standard error changes from baseline to final heart rate were + 2.7 ± 0.2, + 1.0 ± 0.3, and + 3.0 ± 0.4 bpm with exenatide QW, exenatide BID, and liraglutide, respectively, and - 0.8 ± 0.2 bpm with non-GLP-1RAs. The size and direction of heart rate changes in individual patients varied within each treatment group at all time points. At posttreatment follow-up, heart rate reverted to the baseline level after GLP-1RA discontinuation. Heart rate changes correlated negatively with baseline heart rate for all therapies (r = - 0.3 to - 0.4). Baseline heart rate was the strongest predictor of increased heart rate. Small increases in heart rate were associated with exenatide QW, exenatide BID, and liraglutide treatments but reverted to baseline after discontinuation. Increases were more likely in patients with a low baseline heart rate. The clinical relevance of these heart rate increases is unknown but will be clarified by several ongoing and recently completed cardiovascular outcome studies.

  9. Reduced intrinsic heart rate is associated with reduced arrhythmic susceptibility in guinea-pig heart.

    PubMed

    Osadchii, Oleg E

    2014-12-01

    In the clinical setting, patients with slower resting heart rate are less prone to cardiovascular death compared with those with elevated heart rate. However, electrophysiological adaptations associated with reduced cardiac rhythm have not been thoroughly explored. In this study, relationships between intrinsic heart rate and arrhythmic susceptibility were examined by assessments of action potential duration (APD) rate adaptation and inducibility of repolarization alternans in sinoatrial node (SAN)-driven and atrioventricular (AV)-blocked guinea-pig hearts perfused with Langendorff apparatus. Electrocardiograms, epicardial monophasic action potentials, and effective refractory periods (ERP) were assessed in normokalemic and hypokalemic conditions. Slower basal heart rate in AV-blocked hearts was associated with prolonged ventricular repolarization during spontaneous beating, and with attenuated APD shortening at increased cardiac activation rates during dynamic pacing, when compared with SAN-driven hearts. During hypokalemic perfusion, the inducibility of repolarization alternans and tachyarrhythmia by rapid pacing was found to be lower in AV-blocked hearts. This difference was ascribed to prolonged ERP in the setting of reduced basal heart rate, which prevented ventricular capture at critically short pacing intervals required to induce arrhythmia. Reduced basal heart rate is associated with electrophysiological changes that prevent electrical instability upon an abrupt cardiac acceleration.

  10. The "Chaos Theory" and nonlinear dynamics in heart rate variability analysis: does it work in short-time series in patients with coronary heart disease?

    PubMed

    Krstacic, Goran; Krstacic, Antonija; Smalcelj, Anton; Milicic, Davor; Jembrek-Gostovic, Mirjana

    2007-04-01

    Dynamic analysis techniques may quantify abnormalities in heart rate variability (HRV) based on nonlinear and fractal analysis (chaos theory). The article emphasizes clinical and prognostic significance of dynamic changes in short-time series applied on patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) during the exercise electrocardiograph (ECG) test. The subjects were included in the series after complete cardiovascular diagnostic data. Series of R-R and ST-T intervals were obtained from exercise ECG data after sampling digitally. The range rescaled analysis method determined the fractal dimension of the intervals. To quantify fractal long-range correlation's properties of heart rate variability, the detrended fluctuation analysis technique was used. Approximate entropy (ApEn) was applied to quantify the regularity and complexity of time series, as well as unpredictability of fluctuations in time series. It was found that the short-term fractal scaling exponent (alpha(1)) is significantly lower in patients with CHD (0.93 +/- 0.07 vs 1.09 +/- 0.04; P < 0.001). The patients with CHD had higher fractal dimension in each exercise test program separately, as well as in exercise program at all. ApEn was significant lower in CHD group in both RR and ST-T ECG intervals (P < 0.001). The nonlinear dynamic methods could have clinical and prognostic applicability also in short-time ECG series. Dynamic analysis based on chaos theory during the exercise ECG test point out the multifractal time series in CHD patients who loss normal fractal characteristics and regularity in HRV. Nonlinear analysis technique may complement traditional ECG analysis.

  11. Effects of acute hypoxia on the determination of anaerobic threshold using the heart rate-work rate relationships during incremental exercise tests.

    PubMed

    Ozcelik, O; Kelestimur, H

    2004-01-01

    Anaerobic threshold which describes the onset of systematic increase in blood lactate concentration is a widely used concept in clinical and sports medicine. A deflection point between heart rate-work rate has been introduced to determine the anaerobic threshold non-invasively. However, some researchers have consistently reported a heart rate deflection at higher work rates, while others have not. The present study was designed to investigate whether the heart rate deflection point accurately predicts the anaerobic threshold under the condition of acute hypoxia. Eight untrained males performed two incremental exercise tests using an electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer: one breathing room air and one breathing 12 % O2. The anaerobic threshold was estimated using the V-slope method and determined from the increase in blood lactate and the decrease in standard bicarbonate concentration. This threshold was also estimated by in the heart rate-work rate relationship. Not all subjects exhibited a heart rate deflection. Only two subjects in the control and four subjects in the hypoxia groups showed a heart rate deflection. Additionally, the heart rate deflection point overestimated the anaerobic threshold. In conclusion, the heart rate deflection point was not an accurate predictor of anaerobic threshold and acute hypoxia did not systematically affect the heart rate-work rate relationships.

  12. When heart goes “BOOM” to fast. Heart rate greater than 80 as mortality predictor in acute myocardial infarction

    PubMed Central

    Davidovic, Goran; Iric-Cupic, Violeta; Milanov, Srdjan; Dimitijevic, Aleksandra; Petrovic-Janicijevic, Mirjana

    2013-01-01

    Many prospective studies established association between high heart rate and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, independently of other risk factors. Heart rate over 80 beats per minute more often leads to atherosclerotic plaque disruption, the main step in developing acute coronary syndrome. Purpose was to investigate the incidence of higher heart rate levels in patients with anterior wall acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation and the influence of heart rate on mortality. Research included 140 patients with anterior wall acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation treated in Coronary Unit, Clinical Center Kragujevac in the period from January 2001-June 2006. Heart rate was calculated as the mean value of baseline and heart rate in the first 30 minutes after admission. Other risk factors were also followed to determine their connection with elevated heart rate. Results showed that the majority of patients survived (over 70%). In a total number of patients, more than 75% had a heart rate levels greater than 80 beats per minute. There was a significant difference in heart rate on addmision between survivors and patients who died, with a greater levels in patients with fatal outcome. Both, univariate and multivariate regression analysis singled out heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute as independent mortality predictor in these patients. Heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute is a major, independent risk factor for morbidity and important predictor of mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. PMID:23991346

  13. Utility of Vital Signs, Heart-rate Variability and Complexity, and Machine Learning for Identifying the Need for Life-saving Interventions in Trauma Patients

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    thumb-mounted pulse oximeter to the WVSM were recorded at rates of 230 and 75 Hz, respectively. For intubated patients, respiration waveform data were...also recorded at a rate of 10 Hz using a handheld capnograph/ oximeter (Microcap; Covidien, Mansfield, Mass). Standard vital signs used during trauma...SI = HR/SBP) and pulse pressure (PP = SBP j DBP). All nonelectronic data were manually recorded on an electronic run sheet (RescueNet ePCR; Zoll

  14. Morning surge of ventricular arrhythmias in a new arrhythmogenic canine model of chronic heart failure is associated with attenuation of time-of-day dependence of heart rate and autonomic adaptation, and reduced cardiac chaos.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Yujie; Hanafy, Mohamed A; Killingsworth, Cheryl R; Walcott, Gregory P; Young, Martin E; Pogwizd, Steven M

    2014-01-01

    Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) exhibit a morning surge in ventricular arrhythmias, but the underlying cause remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if heart rate dynamics, autonomic input (assessed by heart rate variability (HRV)) and nonlinear dynamics as well as their abnormal time-of-day-dependent oscillations in a newly developed arrhythmogenic canine heart failure model are associated with a morning surge in ventricular arrhythmias. CHF was induced in dogs by aortic insufficiency & aortic constriction, and assessed by echocardiography. Holter monitoring was performed to study time-of-day-dependent variation in ventricular arrhythmias (PVCs, VT), traditional HRV measures, and nonlinear dynamics (including detrended fluctuations analysis α1 and α2 (DFAα1 & DFAα2), correlation dimension (CD), and Shannon entropy (SE)) at baseline, as well as 240 days (240 d) and 720 days (720 d) following CHF induction. LV fractional shortening was decreased at both 240 d and 720 d. Both PVCs and VT increased with CHF duration and showed a morning rise (2.5-fold & 1.8-fold increase at 6 AM-noon vs midnight-6 AM) during CHF. The morning rise in HR at baseline was significantly attenuated by 52% with development of CHF (at both 240 d & 720 d). Morning rise in the ratio of low frequency to high frequency (LF/HF) HRV at baseline was markedly attenuated with CHF. DFAα1, DFAα2, CD and SE all decreased with CHF by 31, 17, 34 and 7%, respectively. Time-of-day-dependent variations in LF/HF, CD, DFA α1 and SE, observed at baseline, were lost during CHF. Thus in this new arrhythmogenic canine CHF model, attenuated morning HR rise, blunted autonomic oscillation, decreased cardiac chaos and complexity of heart rate, as well as aberrant time-of-day-dependent variations in many of these parameters were associated with a morning surge of ventricular arrhythmias.

  15. Morning Surge of Ventricular Arrhythmias in a New Arrhythmogenic Canine Model of Chronic Heart Failure Is Associated with Attenuation of Time-Of-Day Dependence of Heart Rate and Autonomic Adaptation, and Reduced Cardiac Chaos

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Yujie; Hanafy, Mohamed A.; Killingsworth, Cheryl R.; Walcott, Gregory P.; Young, Martin E.; Pogwizd, Steven M.

    2014-01-01

    Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) exhibit a morning surge in ventricular arrhythmias, but the underlying cause remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if heart rate dynamics, autonomic input (assessed by heart rate variability (HRV)) and nonlinear dynamics as well as their abnormal time-of-day-dependent oscillations in a newly developed arrhythmogenic canine heart failure model are associated with a morning surge in ventricular arrhythmias. CHF was induced in dogs by aortic insufficiency & aortic constriction, and assessed by echocardiography. Holter monitoring was performed to study time-of-day-dependent variation in ventricular arrhythmias (PVCs, VT), traditional HRV measures, and nonlinear dynamics (including detrended fluctuations analysis α1 and α2 (DFAα1 & DFAα2), correlation dimension (CD), and Shannon entropy (SE)) at baseline, as well as 240 days (240d) and 720 days (720d) following CHF induction. LV fractional shortening was decreased at both 240d and 720d. Both PVCs and VT increased with CHF duration and showed a morning rise (2.5-fold & 1.8-fold increase at 6 AM-noon vs midnight-6 AM) during CHF. The morning rise in HR at baseline was significantly attenuated by 52% with development of CHF (at both 240d & 720d). Morning rise in the ratio of low frequency to high frequency (LF/HF) HRV at baseline was markedly attenuated with CHF. DFAα1, DFAα2, CD and SE all decreased with CHF by 31, 17, 34 and 7%, respectively. Time-of-day-dependent variations in LF/HF, CD, DFA α1 and SE, observed at baseline, were lost during CHF. Thus in this new arrhythmogenic canine CHF model, attenuated morning HR rise, blunted autonomic oscillation, decreased cardiac chaos and complexity of heart rate, as well as aberrant time-of-day-dependent variations in many of these parameters were associated with a morning surge of ventricular arrhythmias. PMID:25140699

  16. Deep-Diving California Sea Lions: Are They Pushing Their Physiological Limit

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-30

    resting heart rate (70 bpm ) (Ponganis et al. 1997) is reached, and e) duration of and heart rate during the ascent tachycardia. If possible, heart rate...Resting heart rates were 54 + 6 beats min-1 ( bpm ), and in dives of 1-3 min, 3-5 min, and > 5 min, dive heart rates (number of beats/dive duration...were 55 + 8, 51 + 6, and 40 + bpm . As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the heart rate profile was characterized by rapid development of a bradycardia

  17. Heart-Rate Variability—More than Heart Beats?

    PubMed Central

    Ernst, Gernot

    2017-01-01

    Heart-rate variability (HRV) is frequently introduced as mirroring imbalances within the autonomous nerve system. Many investigations are based on the paradigm that increased sympathetic tone is associated with decreased parasympathetic tone and vice versa. But HRV is probably more than an indicator for probable disturbances in the autonomous system. Some perturbations trigger not reciprocal, but parallel changes of vagal and sympathetic nerve activity. HRV has also been considered as a surrogate parameter of the complex interaction between brain and cardiovascular system. Systems biology is an inter-disciplinary field of study focusing on complex interactions within biological systems like the cardiovascular system, with the help of computational models and time series analysis, beyond others. Time series are considered surrogates of the particular system, reflecting robustness or fragility. Increased variability is usually seen as associated with a good health condition, whereas lowered variability might signify pathological changes. This might explain why lower HRV parameters were related to decreased life expectancy in several studies. Newer integrating theories have been proposed. According to them, HRV reflects as much the state of the heart as the state of the brain. The polyvagal theory suggests that the physiological state dictates the range of behavior and psychological experience. Stressful events perpetuate the rhythms of autonomic states, and subsequently, behaviors. Reduced variability will according to this theory not only be a surrogate but represent a fundamental homeostasis mechanism in a pathological state. The neurovisceral integration model proposes that cardiac vagal tone, described in HRV beyond others as HF-index, can mirror the functional balance of the neural networks implicated in emotion–cognition interactions. Both recent models represent a more holistic approach to understanding the significance of HRV. PMID:28955705

  18. Heart-Rate Variability-More than Heart Beats?

    PubMed

    Ernst, Gernot

    2017-01-01

    Heart-rate variability (HRV) is frequently introduced as mirroring imbalances within the autonomous nerve system. Many investigations are based on the paradigm that increased sympathetic tone is associated with decreased parasympathetic tone and vice versa . But HRV is probably more than an indicator for probable disturbances in the autonomous system. Some perturbations trigger not reciprocal, but parallel changes of vagal and sympathetic nerve activity. HRV has also been considered as a surrogate parameter of the complex interaction between brain and cardiovascular system. Systems biology is an inter-disciplinary field of study focusing on complex interactions within biological systems like the cardiovascular system, with the help of computational models and time series analysis, beyond others. Time series are considered surrogates of the particular system, reflecting robustness or fragility. Increased variability is usually seen as associated with a good health condition, whereas lowered variability might signify pathological changes. This might explain why lower HRV parameters were related to decreased life expectancy in several studies. Newer integrating theories have been proposed. According to them, HRV reflects as much the state of the heart as the state of the brain. The polyvagal theory suggests that the physiological state dictates the range of behavior and psychological experience. Stressful events perpetuate the rhythms of autonomic states, and subsequently, behaviors. Reduced variability will according to this theory not only be a surrogate but represent a fundamental homeostasis mechanism in a pathological state. The neurovisceral integration model proposes that cardiac vagal tone, described in HRV beyond others as HF-index, can mirror the functional balance of the neural networks implicated in emotion-cognition interactions. Both recent models represent a more holistic approach to understanding the significance of HRV.

  19. A three-lead, programmable, and microcontroller-based electrocardiogram generator with frequency domain characteristics of heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Wei, Ying-Chieh; Wei, Ying-Yu; Chang, Kai-Hsiung; Young, Ming-Shing

    2012-04-01

    The objective of this study is to design and develop a programmable electrocardiogram (ECG) generator with frequency domain characteristics of heart rate variability (HRV) which can be used to test the efficiency of ECG algorithms and to calibrate and maintain ECG equipment. We simplified and modified the three coupled ordinary differential equations in McSharry's model to a single differential equation to obtain the ECG signal. This system not only allows the signal amplitude, heart rate, QRS-complex slopes, and P- and T-wave position parameters to be adjusted, but can also be used to adjust the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of HRV frequency domain characteristics. The system can be tuned to function with HRV or not. When the HRV function is on, the average heart rate can be set to a value ranging from 20 to 122 beats per minute (BPM) with an adjustable variation of 1 BPM. When the HRV function is off, the heart rate can be set to a value ranging from 20 to 139 BPM with an adjustable variation of 1 BPM. The amplitude of the ECG signal can be set from 0.0 to 330 mV at a resolution of 0.005 mV. These parameters can be adjusted either via input through a keyboard or through a graphical user interface (GUI) control panel that was developed using LABVIEW. The GUI control panel depicts a preview of the ECG signal such that the user can adjust the parameters to establish a desired ECG morphology. A complete set of parameters can be stored in the flash memory of the system via a USB 2.0 interface. Our system can generate three different types of synthetic ECG signals for testing the efficiency of an ECG algorithm or calibrating and maintaining ECG equipment. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

  20. A three-lead, programmable, and microcontroller-based electrocardiogram generator with frequency domain characteristics of heart rate variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Ying-Chieh; Wei, Ying-Yu; Chang, Kai-Hsiung; Young, Ming-Shing

    2012-04-01

    The objective of this study is to design and develop a programmable electrocardiogram (ECG) generator with frequency domain characteristics of heart rate variability (HRV) which can be used to test the efficiency of ECG algorithms and to calibrate and maintain ECG equipment. We simplified and modified the three coupled ordinary differential equations in McSharry's model to a single differential equation to obtain the ECG signal. This system not only allows the signal amplitude, heart rate, QRS-complex slopes, and P- and T-wave position parameters to be adjusted, but can also be used to adjust the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of HRV frequency domain characteristics. The system can be tuned to function with HRV or not. When the HRV function is on, the average heart rate can be set to a value ranging from 20 to 122 beats per minute (BPM) with an adjustable variation of 1 BPM. When the HRV function is off, the heart rate can be set to a value ranging from 20 to 139 BPM with an adjustable variation of 1 BPM. The amplitude of the ECG signal can be set from 0.0 to 330 mV at a resolution of 0.005 mV. These parameters can be adjusted either via input through a keyboard or through a graphical user interface (GUI) control panel that was developed using LABVIEW. The GUI control panel depicts a preview of the ECG signal such that the user can adjust the parameters to establish a desired ECG morphology. A complete set of parameters can be stored in the flash memory of the system via a USB 2.0 interface. Our system can generate three different types of synthetic ECG signals for testing the efficiency of an ECG algorithm or calibrating and maintaining ECG equipment.

  1. A study of the 200-metre fast walk test as a possible new assessment tool to predict maximal heart rate and define target heart rate for exercise training of coronary heart disease patients.

    PubMed

    Casillas, Jean-Marie; Joussain, Charles; Gremeaux, Vincent; Hannequin, Armelle; Rapin, Amandine; Laurent, Yves; Benaïm, Charles

    2015-02-01

    To develop a new predictive model of maximal heart rate based on two walking tests at different speeds (comfortable and brisk walking) as an alternative to a cardiopulmonary exercise test during cardiac rehabilitation. Evaluation of a clinical assessment tool. A Cardiac Rehabilitation Department in France. A total of 148 patients (133 men), mean age of 59 ±9 years, at the end of an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme. Patients successively performed a 6-minute walk test, a 200 m fast-walk test (200mFWT), and a cardiopulmonary exercise test, with measure of heart rate at the end of each test. An all-possible regression procedure was used to determine the best predictive regression models of maximal heart rate. The best model was compared with the Fox equation in term of predictive error of maximal heart rate using the paired t-test. Results of the two walking tests correlated significantly with maximal heart rate determined during the cardiopulmonary exercise test, whereas anthropometric parameters and resting heart rate did not. The simplified predictive model with the most acceptable mean error was: maximal heart rate = 130 - 0.6 × age + 0.3 × HR200mFWT (R(2) = 0.24). This model was superior to the Fox formula (R(2) = 0.138). The relationship between training target heart rate calculated from measured reserve heart rate and that established using this predictive model was statistically significant (r = 0.528, p < 10(-6)). A formula combining heart rate measured during a safe simple fast walk test and age is more efficient than an equation only including age to predict maximal heart rate and training target heart rate. © The Author(s) 2014.

  2. Long‐term Cardiovascular Risks Associated With an Elevated Heart Rate: The Framingham Heart Study

    PubMed Central

    Ho, Jennifer E.; Larson, Martin G.; Ghorbani, Anahita; Cheng, Susan; Coglianese, Erin E.; Vasan, Ramachandran S.; Wang, Thomas J.

    2014-01-01

    Background Higher heart rate has been associated with an adverse prognosis, but most prior studies focused on individuals with known cardiovascular disease or examined a limited number of outcomes. We sought to examine the association of baseline heart rate with both fatal and nonfatal outcomes during 2 decades of follow‐up. Methods and Results Our study included 4058 Framingham Heart Study participants (mean age 55 years, 56% women). Cox models were performed with multivariable adjustment for clinical risk factors and physical activity. A total of 708 participants developed incident cardiovascular disease (303 heart failure, 343 coronary heart disease, and 216 stroke events), 48 received a permanent pacemaker, and 1186 died. Baseline heart rate was associated with incident cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio [HR] 1.15 per 1 SD [11 bpm] increase in heart rate, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.24, P=0.0002), particularly heart failure (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.48, P<0.0001). Higher heart rate was also associated with higher all‐cause (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.24, P<0.0001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.33, P=0.01). Spline analyses did not suggest a lower threshold beyond which the benefit of a lower heart rate abated or increased. In contrast, individuals with a higher heart rate had a lower risk of requiring permanent pacemaker placement (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.79, P=0.001). Conclusions Individuals with a higher heart rate are at elevated long‐term risk for cardiovascular events, in particular, heart failure, and all‐cause death. On the other hand, a higher heart rate is associated with a lower risk of future permanent pacemaker implantation. PMID:24811610

  3. Heart Rate Dynamics after Combined Strength and Endurance Training in Middle-Aged Women: Heterogeneity of Responses

    PubMed Central

    Goldberger, Ary L.; Tulppo, Mikko P.; Laaksonen, David E.; Nyman, Kai; Keskitalo, Marko; Häkkinen, Arja; Häkkinen, Keijo

    2013-01-01

    The loss of complexity in physiological systems may be a dynamical biomarker of aging and disease. In this study the effects of combined strength and endurance training compared with those of endurance training or strength training alone on heart rate (HR) complexity and traditional HR variability indices were examined in middle-aged women. 90 previously untrained female volunteers between the age of 40 and 65 years completed a 21 week progressive training period of either strength training, endurance training or their combination, or served as controls. Continuous HR time series were obtained during supine rest and submaximal steady state exercise. The complexity of HR dynamics was assessed using multiscale entropy analysis. In addition, standard time and frequency domain measures were also computed. Endurance training led to increases in HR complexity and selected time and frequency domain measures of HR variability (P<0.01) when measured during exercise. Combined strength and endurance training or strength training alone did not produce significant changes in HR dynamics. Inter-subject heterogeneity of responses was particularly noticeable in the combined training group. At supine rest, no training-induced changes in HR parameters were observed in any of the groups. The present findings emphasize the potential utility of endurance training in increasing the complex variability of HR in middle-aged women. Further studies are needed to explore the combined endurance and strength training adaptations and possible gender and age related factors, as well as other mechanisms, that may mediate the effects of different training regimens on HR dynamics. PMID:24013586

  4. Physiological thermoregulation in a crustacean? Heart rate hysteresis in the freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor.

    PubMed

    Goudkamp, Jacqueline E; Seebacher, Frank; Ahern, Mark; Franklin, Craig E

    2004-07-01

    Differential heart rates during heating and cooling (heart rate hysteresis) are an important thermoregulatory mechanism in ectothermic reptiles. We speculate that heart rate hysteresis has evolved alongside vascularisation, and to determine whether this phenomenon occurs in a lineage with vascularised circulatory systems that is phylogenetically distant from reptiles, we measured the response of heart rate to convective heat transfer in the Australian freshwater crayfish, Cherax destructor. Heart rate during convective heating (from 20 to 30 degrees C) was significantly faster than during cooling for any given body temperature. Heart rate declined rapidly immediately following the removal of the heat source, despite only negligible losses in body temperature. This heart rate 'hysteresis' is similar to the pattern reported in many reptiles and, by varying peripheral blood flow, it is presumed to confer thermoregulatory benefits particularly given the thermal sensitivity of many physiological rate functions in crustaceans.

  5. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor regulates embryonic heart rate in zebrafish

    PubMed Central

    Romano, Shannon N.; Edwards, Hailey E.; Ryan, Kevin J.

    2017-01-01

    Estrogens act by binding to estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ERα, ERβ), ligand-dependent transcription factors that play crucial roles in sex differentiation, tumor growth and cardiovascular physiology. Estrogens also activate the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), however the function of GPER in vivo is less well understood. Here we find that GPER is required for normal heart rate in zebrafish embryos. Acute exposure to estrogens increased heart rate in wildtype and in ERα and ERβ mutant embryos but not in GPER mutants. GPER mutant embryos exhibited reduced basal heart rate, while heart rate was normal in ERα and ERβ mutants. We detected gper transcript in discrete regions of the brain and pituitary but not in the heart, suggesting that GPER acts centrally to regulate heart rate. In the pituitary, we observed gper expression in cells that regulate levels of thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), a hormone known to increase heart rate. Compared to wild type, GPER mutants had reduced levels of T3 and estrogens, suggesting pituitary abnormalities. Exposure to exogenous T3, but not estradiol, rescued the reduced heart rate phenotype in gper mutant embryos, demonstrating that T3 acts downstream of GPER to regulate heart rate. Using genetic and mass spectrometry approaches, we find that GPER regulates maternal estrogen levels, which are required for normal embryonic heart rate. Our results demonstrate that estradiol plays a previously unappreciated role in the acute modulation of heart rate during zebrafish embryonic development and suggest that GPER regulates embryonic heart rate by altering maternal estrogen levels and embryonic T3 levels. PMID:29065151

  6. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor regulates embryonic heart rate in zebrafish.

    PubMed

    Romano, Shannon N; Edwards, Hailey E; Souder, Jaclyn Paige; Ryan, Kevin J; Cui, Xiangqin; Gorelick, Daniel A

    2017-10-01

    Estrogens act by binding to estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ERα, ERβ), ligand-dependent transcription factors that play crucial roles in sex differentiation, tumor growth and cardiovascular physiology. Estrogens also activate the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), however the function of GPER in vivo is less well understood. Here we find that GPER is required for normal heart rate in zebrafish embryos. Acute exposure to estrogens increased heart rate in wildtype and in ERα and ERβ mutant embryos but not in GPER mutants. GPER mutant embryos exhibited reduced basal heart rate, while heart rate was normal in ERα and ERβ mutants. We detected gper transcript in discrete regions of the brain and pituitary but not in the heart, suggesting that GPER acts centrally to regulate heart rate. In the pituitary, we observed gper expression in cells that regulate levels of thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), a hormone known to increase heart rate. Compared to wild type, GPER mutants had reduced levels of T3 and estrogens, suggesting pituitary abnormalities. Exposure to exogenous T3, but not estradiol, rescued the reduced heart rate phenotype in gper mutant embryos, demonstrating that T3 acts downstream of GPER to regulate heart rate. Using genetic and mass spectrometry approaches, we find that GPER regulates maternal estrogen levels, which are required for normal embryonic heart rate. Our results demonstrate that estradiol plays a previously unappreciated role in the acute modulation of heart rate during zebrafish embryonic development and suggest that GPER regulates embryonic heart rate by altering maternal estrogen levels and embryonic T3 levels.

  7. Accuracy of smartphone apps for heart rate measurement.

    PubMed

    Coppetti, Thomas; Brauchlin, Andreas; Müggler, Simon; Attinger-Toller, Adrian; Templin, Christian; Schönrath, Felix; Hellermann, Jens; Lüscher, Thomas F; Biaggi, Patric; Wyss, Christophe A

    2017-08-01

    Background Smartphone manufacturers offer mobile health monitoring technology to their customers, including apps using the built-in camera for heart rate assessment. This study aimed to test the diagnostic accuracy of such heart rate measuring apps in clinical practice. Methods The feasibility and accuracy of measuring heart rate was tested on four commercially available apps using both iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. 'Instant Heart Rate' (IHR) and 'Heart Fitness' (HF) work with contact photoplethysmography (contact of fingertip to built-in camera), while 'Whats My Heart Rate' (WMH) and 'Cardiio Version' (CAR) work with non-contact photoplethysmography. The measurements were compared to electrocardiogram and pulse oximetry-derived heart rate. Results Heart rate measurement using app-based photoplethysmography was performed on 108 randomly selected patients. The electrocardiogram-derived heart rate correlated well with pulse oximetry ( r = 0.92), IHR ( r = 0.83) and HF ( r = 0.96), but somewhat less with WMH ( r = 0.62) and CAR ( r = 0.60). The accuracy of app-measured heart rate as compared to electrocardiogram, reported as mean absolute error (in bpm ± standard error) was 2 ± 0.35 (pulse oximetry), 4.5 ± 1.1 (IHR), 2 ± 0.5 (HF), 7.1 ± 1.4 (WMH) and 8.1 ± 1.4 (CAR). Conclusions We found substantial performance differences between the four studied heart rate measuring apps. The two contact photoplethysmography-based apps had higher feasibility and better accuracy for heart rate measurement than the two non-contact photoplethysmography-based apps.

  8. A protocol to study ex vivo mouse working heart at human-like heart rate.

    PubMed

    Feng, Han-Zhong; Jin, Jian-Ping

    2018-01-01

    Genetically modified mice are widely used as experimental models to study human heart function and diseases. However, the fast rate of normal mouse heart at 400-600bpm limits its capacity of assessing kinetic parameters that are important for the physiology and pathophysiology of human heart that beats at a much slower rate (75-180bpm). To extend the value of mouse models, we established a protocol to study ex vivo mouse working hearts at a human-like heart rate. In the presence of 300μM lidocaine to lower pacemaker and conductive activities and prevent arrhythmia, a stable rate of 120-130bpm at 37°C is achieved for ex vivo mouse working hearts. The negative effects of decreased heart rate on force-frequency dependence and lidocaine as a myocardial depressant on intracellular calcium can be compensated by using a higher but still physiological level of calcium (2.75mM) in the perfusion media. Multiple parameters were studied to compare the function at the human-like heart rate with that of ex vivo mouse working hearts at the standard rate of 480bpm. The results showed that the conditions for slower heart rate in the presence of 300μM lidocaine did not have depressing effect on left ventricular pressure development, systolic and diastolic velocities and stroke volume with maintained positive inotropic and lusitropic responses to β-adrenergic stimulation. Compared with that at 480bpm, the human-like heart rate increased ventricular filling and end diastolic volume with enhanced Frank-Starling responses. Coronary perfusion was increased from longer relaxation time and interval between beats whereas cardiac efficiency was significantly improved. Although the intrinsic differences between mouse and human heart remain, this methodology for ex vivo mouse hearts to work at human-like heart rate extends the value of using genetically modified mouse models to study cardiac function and human heart diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Introducing a novel mechanism to control heart rate in the ancestral Pacific hagfish.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Christopher M; Roa, Jinae N; Cox, Georgina K; Tresguerres, Martin; Farrell, Anthony P

    2016-10-15

    Although neural modulation of heart rate is well established among chordate animals, the Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) lacks any cardiac innervation, yet it can increase its heart rate from the steady, depressed heart rate seen in prolonged anoxia to almost double its normal normoxic heart rate, an almost fourfold overall change during the 1-h recovery from anoxia. The present study sought mechanistic explanations for these regulatory changes in heart rate. We provide evidence for a bicarbonate-activated, soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC)-dependent mechanism to control heart rate, a mechanism never previously implicated in chordate cardiac control. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  10. Characterization of local complex structures in a recurrence plot to improve nonlinear dynamic discriminant analysis.

    PubMed

    Ding, Hang

    2014-01-01

    Structures in recurrence plots (RPs), preserving the rich information of nonlinear invariants and trajectory characteristics, have been increasingly analyzed in dynamic discrimination studies. The conventional analysis of RPs is mainly focused on quantifying the overall diagonal and vertical line structures through a method, called recurrence quantification analysis (RQA). This study extensively explores the information in RPs by quantifying local complex RP structures. To do this, an approach was developed to analyze the combination of three major RQA variables: determinism, laminarity, and recurrence rate (DLR) in a metawindow moving over a RP. It was then evaluated in two experiments discriminating (1) ideal nonlinear dynamic series emulated from the Lorenz system with different control parameters and (2) data sets of human heart rate regulations with normal sinus rhythms (n = 18) and congestive heart failure (n = 29). Finally, the DLR was compared with seven major RQA variables in terms of discriminatory power, measured by standardized mean difference (DSMD). In the two experiments, DLR resulted in the highest discriminatory power with DSMD = 2.53 and 0.98, respectively, which were 7.41 and 2.09 times the best performance from RQA. The study also revealed that the optimal RP structures for the discriminations were neither typical diagonal structures nor vertical structures. These findings indicate that local complex RP structures contain some rich information unexploited by RQA. Therefore, future research to extensively analyze complex RP structures would potentially improve the effectiveness of the RP analysis in dynamic discrimination studies.

  11. Cardiovascular responses associated with daily walking in subacute stroke.

    PubMed

    Prajapati, Sanjay K; Mansfield, Avril; Gage, William H; Brooks, Dina; McIlroy, William E

    2013-01-01

    Despite the importance of regaining independent ambulation after stroke, the amount of daily walking completed during in-patient rehabilitation is low. The purpose of this study is to determine if (1) walking-related heart rate responses reached the minimum intensity necessary for therapeutic aerobic exercise (40%-60% heart rate reserve) or (2) heart rate responses during bouts of walking revealed excessive workload that may limit walking (>80% heart rate reserve). Eight individuals with subacute stroke attending in-patient rehabilitation were recruited. Participants wore heart rate monitors and accelerometers during a typical rehabilitation day. Walking-related changes in heart rate and walking bout duration were determined. Patients did not meet the minimum cumulative requirements of walking intensity (>40% heart rate reserve) and duration (>10 minutes continuously) necessary for cardiorespiratory benefit. Only one patient exceeded 80% heart rate reserve. The absence of significant increases in heart rate associated with walking reveals that patients chose to walk at speeds well below a level that has meaningful cardiorespiratory health benefits. Additionally, cardiorespiratory workload is unlikely to limit participation in walking. Measurement of heart rate and walking during in-patient rehabilitation may be a useful approach to encourage patients to increase the overall physical activity and to help facilitate recovery.

  12. Heart rate reduction and longevity in mice.

    PubMed

    Gent, Sabine; Kleinbongard, Petra; Dammann, Philip; Neuhäuser, Markus; Heusch, Gerd

    2015-03-01

    Heart rate correlates inversely with life span across all species, including humans. In patients with cardiovascular disease, higher heart rate is associated with increased mortality, and such patients benefit from pharmacological heart rate reduction. However, cause-and-effect relationships between heart rate and longevity, notably in healthy individuals, are not established. We therefore prospectively studied the effects of a life-long pharmacological heart rate reduction on longevity in mice. We hypothesized, that the total number of cardiac cycles is constant, and that a 15% heart rate reduction might translate into a 15% increase in life span. C57BL6/J mice received either placebo or ivabradine at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day in drinking water from 12 weeks to death. Heart rate and body weight were monitored. Autopsy was performed on all non-autolytic cadavers, and parenchymal organs were evaluated macroscopically. Ivabradine reduced heart rate by 14% (median, interquartile range 12-15%) throughout life, and median life span was increased by 6.2% (p = 0.01). Body weight and macroscopic findings were not different between placebo and ivabradine. Life span was not increased to the same extent as heart rate was reduced, but nevertheless significantly prolonged by 6.2%.

  13. Abnormal heart rate recovery and deficient chronotropic response after submaximal exercise in young Marfan syndrome patients.

    PubMed

    Peres, Paulo; Carvalho, Antônio C; Perez, Ana Beatriz A; Medeiros, Wladimir M

    2016-10-01

    Marfan syndrome patients present important cardiac structural changes, ventricular dysfunction, and electrocardiographic changes. An abnormal heart rate response during or after exercise is an independent predictor of mortality and autonomic dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to compare heart rate recovery and chronotropic response obtained by cardiac reserve in patients with Marfan syndrome subjected to submaximal exercise. A total of 12 patients on β-blocker therapy and 13 off β-blocker therapy were compared with 12 healthy controls. They were subjected to submaximal exercise with lactate measurements. The heart rate recovery was obtained in the first minute of recovery and corrected for cardiac reserve and peak lactate concentration. Peak heart rate (141±16 versus 155±17 versus 174±8 bpm; p=0.001), heart rate reserve (58.7±9.4 versus 67.6±14.3 versus 82.6±4.8 bpm; p=0.001), heart rate recovery (22±6 versus 22±8 versus 34±9 bpm; p=0.001), and heart rate recovery/lactate (3±1 versus 3±1 versus 5±1 bpm/mmol/L; p=0.003) were different between Marfan groups and controls, respectively. All the patients with Marfan syndrome had heart rate recovery values below the mean observed in the control group. The absolute values of heart rate recovery were strongly correlated with the heart rate reserve (r=0.76; p=0.001). Marfan syndrome patients have reduced heart rate recovery and chronotropic deficit after submaximal exercise, and the chronotropic deficit is a strong determinant of heart rate recovery. These changes are suggestive of autonomic dysfunction.

  14. A randomised, simulated study assessing auscultation of heart rate at birth.

    PubMed

    Voogdt, Kevin G J A; Morrison, Allison C; Wood, Fiona E; van Elburg, Ruurd M; Wyllie, Jonathan P

    2010-08-01

    Heart rate is a primary clinical indicator directing newborn resuscitation. The time taken to assess the heart rate by auscultation in relation to accuracy during newborn resuscitation is not known. To assess both the accuracy and time taken to assess heart rate by stethoscope in simulated resuscitation scenarios. The VitalSim((c)) manikin (Laerdal Medical, Stavanger, Norway) was used in this randomised, single blind study. Four heart rate settings (0, 40, 80, 120 beats per minute (bpm)) were randomly assigned. Participants assessed them by auscultation in three different scenarios. The first scenario was to assess the actual heart rate at birth. In the second scenario, heart rate was assessed during ventilation and assigned to standard ranges (<60, 60-100, >100bpm). In the third scenario, heart rate was assessed after three cycles of compressions and ventilation and assigned to standard ranges. In total 61 midwives, nurses and doctors performed 183 assessments. Mean time to estimate heart rate for scenarios 1, 2 and 3 was: 17.0, 9.8 and 7.8s respectively. Heart rate assessments were inaccurate in 31% (scenario 1), 28% (scenarios 2) and 26% (scenario 3). There was a trend for assessors who were accurate to be quicker and this achieved significance in scenario 2 (p<0.02). Inaccurate assessment would have made a difference to management in 28% of all cases. Mean time to estimate heart rate for the scenarios varied between 7.8 and 17.0s. Twenty-eight percent of all heart rate assessments would have prompted incorrect management during resuscitation or stabilization. Of incorrect assessments, 73% were overestimations. Further research is required to develop a rapid and accurate method for determining heart rate during newborn resuscitation. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Apnea of prematurity

    MedlinePlus

    ... The baby may also have a: Drop in heart rate. This heart rate drop is called bradycardia or, sometimes, a "brady." ... hospital. The monitors keep track of their breathing, heart rate, and oxygen levels. Apnea, drop in heart rate, ...

  16. Vagal Nerve Stimulation Therapy: What Is Being Stimulated?

    PubMed Central

    Kember, Guy; Ardell, Jeffrey L.; Armour, John A.; Zamir, Mair

    2014-01-01

    Vagal nerve stimulation in cardiac therapy involves delivering electrical current to the vagal sympathetic complex in patients experiencing heart failure. The therapy has shown promise but the mechanisms by which any benefit accrues is not understood. In this paper we model the response to increased levels of stimulation of individual components of the vagal sympathetic complex as a differential activation of each component in the control of heart rate. The model provides insight beyond what is available in the animal experiment in as much as allowing the simultaneous assessment of neuronal activity throughout the cardiac neural axis. The results indicate that there is sensitivity of the neural network to low level subthreshold stimulation. This leads us to propose that the chronic effects of vagal nerve stimulation therapy lie within the indirect pathways that target intrinsic cardiac local circuit neurons because they have the capacity for plasticity. PMID:25479368

  17. Vagal nerve stimulation therapy: what is being stimulated?

    PubMed

    Kember, Guy; Ardell, Jeffrey L; Armour, John A; Zamir, Mair

    2014-01-01

    Vagal nerve stimulation in cardiac therapy involves delivering electrical current to the vagal sympathetic complex in patients experiencing heart failure. The therapy has shown promise but the mechanisms by which any benefit accrues is not understood. In this paper we model the response to increased levels of stimulation of individual components of the vagal sympathetic complex as a differential activation of each component in the control of heart rate. The model provides insight beyond what is available in the animal experiment in as much as allowing the simultaneous assessment of neuronal activity throughout the cardiac neural axis. The results indicate that there is sensitivity of the neural network to low level subthreshold stimulation. This leads us to propose that the chronic effects of vagal nerve stimulation therapy lie within the indirect pathways that target intrinsic cardiac local circuit neurons because they have the capacity for plasticity.

  18. Control of heart rate during thermoregulation in the heliothermic lizard Pogona barbata: importance of cholinergic and adrenergic mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Seebacher, F; Franklin, C E

    2001-12-01

    During thermoregulation in the bearded dragon Pogona barbata, heart rate when heating is significantly faster than when cooling at any given body temperature (heart rate hysteresis), resulting in faster rates of heating than cooling. However, the mechanisms that control heart rate during heating and cooling are unknown. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that changes in cholinergic and adrenergic tone on the heart are responsible for the heart rate hysteresis during heating and cooling in P. barbata. Heating and cooling trials were conducted before and after the administration of atropine, a muscarinic antagonist, and sotalol, a beta-adrenergic antagonist. Cholinergic and beta-adrenergic blockade did not abolish the heart rate hysteresis, as the heart rate during heating was significantly faster than during cooling in all cases. Adrenergic tone was extremely high (92.3 %) at the commencement of heating, and decreased to 30.7 % at the end of the cooling period. Moreover, in four lizards there was an instantaneous drop in heart rate (up to 15 beats min(-1)) as the heat source was switched off, and this drop in heart rate coincided with either a drop in beta-adrenergic tone or an increase in cholinergic tone. Rates of heating were significantly faster during the cholinergic blockade, and least with a combined cholinergic and beta-adrenergic blockade. The results showed that cholinergic and beta-adrenergic systems are not the only control mechanisms acting on the heart during heating and cooling, but they do have a significant effect on heart rate and on rates of heating and cooling.

  19. Decoding the Heart through Next Generation Sequencing Approaches.

    PubMed

    Pawlak, Michal; Niescierowicz, Katarzyna; Winata, Cecilia Lanny

    2018-06-07

    : Vertebrate organs develop through a complex process which involves interaction between multiple signaling pathways at the molecular, cell, and tissue levels. Heart development is an example of such complex process which, when disrupted, results in congenital heart disease (CHD). This complexity necessitates a holistic approach which allows the visualization of genome-wide interaction networks, as opposed to assessment of limited subsets of factors. Genomics offers a powerful solution to address the problem of biological complexity by enabling the observation of molecular processes at a genome-wide scale. The emergence of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology has facilitated the expansion of genomics, increasing its output capacity and applicability in various biological disciplines. The application of NGS in various aspects of heart biology has resulted in new discoveries, generating novel insights into this field of study. Here we review the contributions of NGS technology into the understanding of heart development and its disruption reflected in CHD and discuss how emerging NGS based methodologies can contribute to the further understanding of heart repair.

  20. Addressing the conundrum of multimorbidity in heart failure: Do we need a more strategic approach to improve health outcomes?

    PubMed

    Stewart, Simon; Riegel, Barbara; Thompson, David R

    2016-02-01

    There is clear evidence across the globe that the clinical complexity of patients presenting to hospital with the syndrome of heart failure is increasing - not only in terms of the presence of concurrent disease states, but with additional socio-demographic risk factors that complicate treatment. Management strategies that treat heart failure as the main determinant of health outcomes ignores the multiple and complex issues that will inevitably erode the efficacy and efficiency of current heart failure management programmes. This complex problem (or conundrum) requires a different way of thinking around the complex interactions that underpin poor outcomes in heart failure. In this context, we present the COordinated NUrse-led inteNsified Disease management for continuity of caRe for mUltiMorbidity in Heart Failure (CONUNDRUM-HF) matrix that may well inform future research and models of care to achieve better health outcomes in this rapidly increasing patient population. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

  1. Dynamic analysis of heartbeat rate signals of epileptics using multidimensional phase space reconstruction approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Zhi-Yuan; Wu, Tzuyin; Yang, Po-Hua; Wang, Yeng-Tseng

    2008-04-01

    The heartbeat rate signal provides an invaluable means of assessing the sympathetic-parasympathetic balance of the human autonomic nervous system and thus represents an ideal diagnostic mechanism for detecting a variety of disorders such as epilepsy, cardiac disease and so forth. The current study analyses the dynamics of the heartbeat rate signal of known epilepsy sufferers in order to obtain a detailed understanding of the heart rate pattern during a seizure event. In the proposed approach, the ECG signals are converted into heartbeat rate signals and the embedology theorem is then used to construct the corresponding multidimensional phase space. The dynamics of the heartbeat rate signal are then analyzed before, during and after an epileptic seizure by examining the maximum Lyapunov exponent and the correlation dimension of the attractors in the reconstructed phase space. In general, the results reveal that the heartbeat rate signal transits from an aperiodic, highly-complex behaviour before an epileptic seizure to a low dimensional chaotic motion during the seizure event. Following the seizure, the signal trajectories return to a highly-complex state, and the complex signal patterns associated with normal physiological conditions reappear.

  2. Identification of heart rate-associated loci and their effects on cardiac conduction and rhythm disorders.

    PubMed

    den Hoed, Marcel; Eijgelsheim, Mark; Esko, Tõnu; Brundel, Bianca J J M; Peal, David S; Evans, David M; Nolte, Ilja M; Segrè, Ayellet V; Holm, Hilma; Handsaker, Robert E; Westra, Harm-Jan; Johnson, Toby; Isaacs, Aaron; Yang, Jian; Lundby, Alicia; Zhao, Jing Hua; Kim, Young Jin; Go, Min Jin; Almgren, Peter; Bochud, Murielle; Boucher, Gabrielle; Cornelis, Marilyn C; Gudbjartsson, Daniel; Hadley, David; van der Harst, Pim; Hayward, Caroline; den Heijer, Martin; Igl, Wilmar; Jackson, Anne U; Kutalik, Zoltán; Luan, Jian'an; Kemp, John P; Kristiansson, Kati; Ladenvall, Claes; Lorentzon, Mattias; Montasser, May E; Njajou, Omer T; O'Reilly, Paul F; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; St Pourcain, Beate; Rankinen, Tuomo; Salo, Perttu; Tanaka, Toshiko; Timpson, Nicholas J; Vitart, Veronique; Waite, Lindsay; Wheeler, William; Zhang, Weihua; Draisma, Harmen H M; Feitosa, Mary F; Kerr, Kathleen F; Lind, Penelope A; Mihailov, Evelin; Onland-Moret, N Charlotte; Song, Ci; Weedon, Michael N; Xie, Weijia; Yengo, Loic; Absher, Devin; Albert, Christine M; Alonso, Alvaro; Arking, Dan E; de Bakker, Paul I W; Balkau, Beverley; Barlassina, Cristina; Benaglio, Paola; Bis, Joshua C; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Brage, Søren; Chanock, Stephen J; Chines, Peter S; Chung, Mina; Darbar, Dawood; Dina, Christian; Dörr, Marcus; Elliott, Paul; Felix, Stephan B; Fischer, Krista; Fuchsberger, Christian; de Geus, Eco J C; Goyette, Philippe; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Harris, Tamara B; Hartikainen, Anna-Liisa; Havulinna, Aki S; Heckbert, Susan R; Hicks, Andrew A; Hofman, Albert; Holewijn, Suzanne; Hoogstra-Berends, Femke; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Jensen, Majken K; Johansson, Asa; Junttila, Juhani; Kääb, Stefan; Kanon, Bart; Ketkar, Shamika; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Knowles, Joshua W; Kooner, Angrad S; Kors, Jan A; Kumari, Meena; Milani, Lili; Laiho, Päivi; Lakatta, Edward G; Langenberg, Claudia; Leusink, Maarten; Liu, Yongmei; Luben, Robert N; Lunetta, Kathryn L; Lynch, Stacey N; Markus, Marcello R P; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Mateo Leach, Irene; McArdle, Wendy L; McCarroll, Steven A; Medland, Sarah E; Miller, Kathryn A; Montgomery, Grant W; Morrison, Alanna C; Müller-Nurasyid, Martina; Navarro, Pau; Nelis, Mari; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Ong, Ken K; Newman, Anne B; Peters, Annette; Polasek, Ozren; Pouta, Anneli; Pramstaller, Peter P; Psaty, Bruce M; Rao, Dabeeru C; Ring, Susan M; Rossin, Elizabeth J; Rudan, Diana; Sanna, Serena; Scott, Robert A; Sehmi, Jaban S; Sharp, Stephen; Shin, Jordan T; Singleton, Andrew B; Smith, Albert V; Soranzo, Nicole; Spector, Tim D; Stewart, Chip; Stringham, Heather M; Tarasov, Kirill V; Uitterlinden, André G; Vandenput, Liesbeth; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Whitfield, John B; Wijmenga, Cisca; Wild, Sarah H; Willemsen, Gonneke; Wilson, James F; Witteman, Jacqueline C M; Wong, Andrew; Wong, Quenna; Jamshidi, Yalda; Zitting, Paavo; Boer, Jolanda M A; Boomsma, Dorret I; Borecki, Ingrid B; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Ekelund, Ulf; Forouhi, Nita G; Froguel, Philippe; Hingorani, Aroon; Ingelsson, Erik; Kivimaki, Mika; Kronmal, Richard A; Kuh, Diana; Lind, Lars; Martin, Nicholas G; Oostra, Ben A; Pedersen, Nancy L; Quertermous, Thomas; Rotter, Jerome I; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Verschuren, W M Monique; Walker, Mark; Albanes, Demetrius; Arnar, David O; Assimes, Themistocles L; Bandinelli, Stefania; Boehnke, Michael; de Boer, Rudolf A; Bouchard, Claude; Caulfield, W L Mark; Chambers, John C; Curhan, Gary; Cusi, Daniele; Eriksson, Johan; Ferrucci, Luigi; van Gilst, Wiek H; Glorioso, Nicola; de Graaf, Jacqueline; Groop, Leif; Gyllensten, Ulf; Hsueh, Wen-Chi; Hu, Frank B; Huikuri, Heikki V; Hunter, David J; Iribarren, Carlos; Isomaa, Bo; Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Jula, Antti; Kähönen, Mika; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; van der Klauw, Melanie M; Kooner, Jaspal S; Kraft, Peter; Iacoviello, Licia; Lehtimäki, Terho; Lokki, Marja-Liisa L; Mitchell, Braxton D; Navis, Gerjan; Nieminen, Markku S; Ohlsson, Claes; Poulter, Neil R; Qi, Lu; Raitakari, Olli T; Rimm, Eric B; Rioux, John D; Rizzi, Federica; Rudan, Igor; Salomaa, Veikko; Sever, Peter S; Shields, Denis C; Shuldiner, Alan R; Sinisalo, Juha; Stanton, Alice V; Stolk, Ronald P; Strachan, David P; Tardif, Jean-Claude; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Tuomilehto, Jaako; van Veldhuisen, Dirk J; Virtamo, Jarmo; Viikari, Jorma; Vollenweider, Peter; Waeber, Gérard; Widen, Elisabeth; Cho, Yoon Shin; Olsen, Jesper V; Visscher, Peter M; Willer, Cristen; Franke, Lude; Erdmann, Jeanette; Thompson, John R; Pfeufer, Arne; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Newton-Cheh, Christopher; Ellinor, Patrick T; Stricker, Bruno H Ch; Metspalu, Andres; Perola, Markus; Beckmann, Jacques S; Smith, George Davey; Stefansson, Kari; Wareham, Nicholas J; Munroe, Patricia B; Sibon, Ody C M; Milan, David J; Snieder, Harold; Samani, Nilesh J; Loos, Ruth J F

    2013-06-01

    Elevated resting heart rate is associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. In a 2-stage meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in up to 181,171 individuals, we identified 14 new loci associated with heart rate and confirmed associations with all 7 previously established loci. Experimental downregulation of gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster and Danio rerio identified 20 genes at 11 loci that are relevant for heart rate regulation and highlight a role for genes involved in signal transmission, embryonic cardiac development and the pathophysiology of dilated cardiomyopathy, congenital heart failure and/or sudden cardiac death. In addition, genetic susceptibility to increased heart rate is associated with altered cardiac conduction and reduced risk of sick sinus syndrome, and both heart rate-increasing and heart rate-decreasing variants associate with risk of atrial fibrillation. Our findings provide fresh insights into the mechanisms regulating heart rate and identify new therapeutic targets.

  3. Towards Photoplethysmography-Based Estimation of Instantaneous Heart Rate During Physical Activity.

    PubMed

    Jarchi, Delaram; Casson, Alexander J

    2017-09-01

    Recently numerous methods have been proposed for estimating average heart rate using photoplethysmography (PPG) during physical activity, overcoming the significant interference that motion causes in PPG traces. We propose a new algorithm framework for extracting instantaneous heart rate from wearable PPG and Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals to provide an estimate of heart rate variability during exercise. For ECG signals, we propose a new spectral masking approach which modifies a particle filter tracking algorithm, and for PPG signals constrains the instantaneous frequency obtained from the Hilbert transform to a region of interest around a candidate heart rate measure. Performance is verified using accelerometry and wearable ECG and PPG data from subjects while biking and running on a treadmill. Instantaneous heart rate provides more information than average heart rate alone. The instantaneous heart rate can be extracted during motion to an accuracy of 1.75 beats per min (bpm) from PPG signals and 0.27 bpm from ECG signals. Estimates of instantaneous heart rate can now be generated from PPG signals during motion. These estimates can provide more information on the human body during exercise. Instantaneous heart rate provides a direct measure of vagal nerve and sympathetic nervous system activity and is of substantial use in a number of analyzes and applications. Previously it has not been possible to estimate instantaneous heart rate from wrist wearable PPG signals.

  4. Selective inhibition of deactivated mitochondrial complex I by biguanides.

    PubMed

    Matsuzaki, Satoshi; Humphries, Kenneth M

    2015-03-24

    Biguanides are widely used antihyperglycemic agents for diabetes mellitus and prediabetes treatment. Complex I is the rate-limiting step of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), a major source of mitochondrial free radical production, and a known target of biguanides. Complex I has two reversible conformational states, active and de-active. The deactivated state is promoted in the absence of substrates but is rapidly and fully reversed to the active state in the presence of NADH. The objective of this study was to determine the relative sensitivity of active/de-active complex I to biguanide-mediated inhibition and resulting superoxide radical (O₂(•⁻)) production. Using isolated rat heart mitochondria, we show that deactivation of complex I sensitizes it to metformin and phenformin (4- and 3-fold, respectively), but not to other known complex I inhibitors, such as rotenone. Mitochondrial O₂(•⁻) production by deactivated complex I was measured fluorescently by NADH-dependent 2-hydroxyethidium formation at alkaline pH to impede reactivation. Superoxide production was 260.4% higher than in active complex I at pH 9.4. However, phenformin treatment of de-active complex I decreased O₂(•⁻) production by 14.9%, while rotenone increased production by 42.9%. Mitochondria isolated from rat hearts subjected to cardiac ischemia, a condition known to induce complex I deactivation, were sensitized to phenformin-mediated complex I inhibition. This supports the idea that the effects of biguanides are likely to be influenced by the complex I state in vivo. These results demonstrate that the complex I active and de-active states are a determinant in biguanide-mediated inhibition.

  5. A comparative analysis of alternative approaches for quantifying nonlinear dynamics in cardiovascular system.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yun; Yang, Hui

    2013-01-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis has emerged as an important research topic to evaluate autonomic cardiac function. However, traditional time and frequency-domain analysis characterizes and quantify only linear and stationary phenomena. In the present investigation, we made a comparative analysis of three alternative approaches (i.e., wavelet multifractal analysis, Lyapunov exponents and multiscale entropy analysis) for quantifying nonlinear dynamics in heart rate time series. Note that these extracted nonlinear features provide information about nonlinear scaling behaviors and the complexity of cardiac systems. To evaluate the performance, we used 24-hour HRV recordings from 54 healthy subjects and 29 heart failure patients, available in PhysioNet. Three nonlinear methods are evaluated not only individually but also in combination using three classification algorithms, i.e., linear discriminate analysis, quadratic discriminate analysis and k-nearest neighbors. Experimental results show that three nonlinear methods capture nonlinear dynamics from different perspectives and the combined feature set achieves the best performance, i.e., sensitivity 97.7% and specificity 91.5%. Collectively, nonlinear HRV features are shown to have the promise to identify the disorders in autonomic cardiovascular function.

  6. Entropy information of heart rate variability and its power spectrum during day and night

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Li; Jun, Wang

    2013-07-01

    Physiologic systems generate complex fluctuations in their output signals that reflect the underlying dynamics. We employed the base-scale entropy method and the power spectral analysis to study the 24 hours heart rate variability (HRV) signals. The results show that such profound circadian-, age- and pathologic-dependent changes are accompanied by changes in base-scale entropy and power spectral distribution. Moreover, the base-scale entropy changes reflect the corresponding changes in the autonomic nerve outflow. With the suppression of the vagal tone and dominance of the sympathetic tone in congestive heart failure (CHF) subjects, there is more variability in the date fluctuation mode. So the higher base-scale entropy belongs to CHF subjects. With the decrease of the sympathetic tone and the respiratory frequency (RSA) becoming more pronounced with slower breathing during sleeping, the base-scale entropy drops in CHF subjects. The HRV series of the two healthy groups have the same diurnal/nocturnal trend as the CHF series. The fluctuation dynamics trend of data in the three groups can be described as “HF effect”.

  7. Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Mediate Cardiac Structural, Functional, and Mitochondrial Consequences of Diet-Induced Metabolic Heart Disease.

    PubMed

    Sverdlov, Aaron L; Elezaby, Aly; Qin, Fuzhong; Behring, Jessica B; Luptak, Ivan; Calamaras, Timothy D; Siwik, Deborah A; Miller, Edward J; Liesa, Marc; Shirihai, Orian S; Pimentel, David R; Cohen, Richard A; Bachschmid, Markus M; Colucci, Wilson S

    2016-01-11

    Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with metabolic heart disease (MHD). However, the mechanism by which ROS cause MHD is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial ROS are a key mediator of MHD. Mice fed a high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet develop MHD with cardiac diastolic and mitochondrial dysfunction that is associated with oxidative posttranslational modifications of cardiac mitochondrial proteins. Transgenic mice that express catalase in mitochondria and wild-type mice were fed an HFHS or control diet for 4 months. Cardiac mitochondria from HFHS-fed wild-type mice had a 3-fold greater rate of H2O2 production (P=0.001 versus control diet fed), a 30% decrease in complex II substrate-driven oxygen consumption (P=0.006), 21% to 23% decreases in complex I and II substrate-driven ATP synthesis (P=0.01), and a 62% decrease in complex II activity (P=0.002). In transgenic mice that express catalase in mitochondria, all HFHS diet-induced mitochondrial abnormalities were ameliorated, as were left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction. In HFHS-fed wild-type mice complex II substrate-driven ATP synthesis and activity were restored ex vivo by dithiothreitol (5 mmol/L), suggesting a role for reversible cysteine oxidative posttranslational modifications. In vitro site-directed mutation of complex II subunit B Cys100 or Cys103 to redox-insensitive serines prevented complex II dysfunction induced by ROS or high glucose/high palmitate in the medium. Mitochondrial ROS are pathogenic in MHD and contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction, at least in part, by causing oxidative posttranslational modifications of complex I and II proteins including reversible oxidative posttranslational modifications of complex II subunit B Cys100 and Cys103. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

  8. STUDIES ON MAMMALIAN AND HUMAN PYRUVATE AND ALPHA-KETOGLUTARATE DEHYDROGENATION COMPLEXES.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    Enzyme systems that catalyze a coenzyme A- and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-linked oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate and alpha - ketoglutarate ...The pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was strongly inhibited by EDTA at low concentration, but the pig heart alpha - ketoglutarate ...On the oxidative decarboxylation of alpha -keto acids in pig heart complexes, Ca(2+) was strongly stimulatory to the same or more extent than Mg(2

  9. Effect of pedal rate and power output on rating of perceived exertion during cycle ergometry exercise.

    PubMed

    Hamer, Mark; Boutcher, Yati N; Boutcher, Stephen H

    2005-12-01

    This study examined differentiated rating of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate, and heart-rate variability during light cycle ergometry exercise at two different pedal rates. 30 healthy men (22.6 +/- 0.9 yr.) were recruited from a student population and completed a continuous 20-min. cycle ergometry exercise protocol, consisting of a 4-min. warm-up (60 rev./min., 30 Watts), followed by four bouts of 4 min. at different combinations of pedal rate (40 or 80 rev./min.) and power output (40 or 80 Watts). The order of the four combinations was counterbalanced across participants. Heart rate was measured using a polar heart-rate monitor, and parasympathetic balance was assessed through time series analysis of heart-rate variability. Measures were compared using a 2 (pedal rate) x 2 (power output) repeated-measures analysis of variance. RPE was significantly greater (p<.05) at 80 versus 40 rev./min. at 40 W. For both power outputs heart rate was significantly increased, and the high frequency component of heart-rate variability was significantly reduced at 80 compared with 40 rev./min. These findings indicate the RPE was greater at higher than at lower pedalling rates for a light absolute power output which contrasts with previous findings based on use of higher power output. Also, pedal rate had a significant effect on heart rate and heart-rate variability at constant power output.

  10. Heart Rate During Sleep: Implications for Monitoring Training Status

    PubMed Central

    Waldeck, Miriam R.; Lambert, Michael I.

    2003-01-01

    Resting heart rate has sometimes been used as a marker of training status. It is reasonable to assume that the relationship between heart rate and training status should be more evident during sleep when extraneous factors that may influence heart rate are reduced. Therefore the aim of the study was to assess the repeatability of monitoring heart rate during sleep when training status remained unchanged, to determine if this measurement had sufficient precision to be used as a marker of training status. The heart rate of ten female subjects was monitored for 24 hours on three occasions over three weeks whilst training status remained unchanged. Average, minimum and maximum heart rate during sleep was calculated. The average heart rate of the group during sleep was similar on each of the three tests (65 ± 9, 63 ± 6 and 67 ± 7 beats·min-1 respectively). The range in minimum heart rate variation during sleep for all subjects over the three testing sessions was from 0 to 10 beats·min-1 (mean = 5 ± 3 beats·min-1) and for maximum heart rate variation was 2 to 31 beats·min-1 (mean = 13 ± 9 beats·min-1). In summary it was found that on an individual basis the minimum heart rate during sleep varied by about 8 beats·min-1. This amount of intrinsic day-to-day variation needs to be considered when changes in heart rate that may occur with changes in training status are interpreted. PMID:24688273

  11. Heart rate variability in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review and methodological considerations.

    PubMed

    Matusik, P S; Matusik, P T; Stein, P K

    2018-07-01

    Aim The aim of this review was to summarize current knowledge about the scientific findings and potential clinical utility of heart rate variability measures in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases were searched for the terms associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and heart rate variability, including controlled vocabulary, when appropriate. Articles published in English and available in full text were considered. Finally, 11 publications were selected, according to the systematic review protocol and were analyzed. Results In general, heart rate variability, measured in the time and frequency domains, was reported to be decreased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus compared with controls. In some systemic lupus erythematosus studies, heart rate variability was found to correlate with inflammatory markers and albumin levels. A novel heart rate variability measure, heart rate turbulence onset, was shown to be increased, while heart rate turbulence slope was decreased in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Reports of associations of changes in heart rate variability parameters with increasing systemic lupus erythematosus activity were inconsistent, showing decreasing heart rate variability or no relationship. However, the low/high frequency ratio was, in some studies, reported to increase with increasing disease activity or to be inversely correlated with albumin levels. Conclusions Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have abnormal heart rate variability, which reflects cardiac autonomic dysfunction and may be related to inflammatory cytokines but not necessarily to disease activity. Thus measurement of heart rate variability could be a useful clinical tool for monitoring autonomic dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus, and may potentially provide prognostic information.

  12. Sex-related differences in the development of fetal heart rate dynamics.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kyu Nam; Park, Young-Sun; Hoh, Jeong-Kyu

    2016-02-01

    Despite previous efforts to explain the general advantages of female fetuses over males regarding health, sex-related differences in the dynamics or complexity of fetal heart rate (FHR) variability and FHR maturation patterns have not yet been identified. To make linear and nonlinear comparisons of antepartum FHR indices, dynamics, complexity, and reactivity to the non-stress test (NST) and vibroacoustic-stimulation test (VAST) in male and female fetuses. A total of 3835 singleton term deliveries without maternal and fetal complications were divided into female (n=1849) and male (n=1986) groups, and subjected to comparison and analyses. Linear FHR indices, approximate entropy (ApEn), sample entropy (SampEn), short-term/long-term exponents (α1/α2), correlation dimension (CD), NST and VAST criteria, and modified nonlinear reactive criteria (MNRC) were used to evaluate outcomes. ApEn was consistently higher in female fetuses than in male ones. ApEn in female fetuses was maximal at 29-30 gestational weeks, while the increase in ApEn was delayed in male fetuses but more rapid, reaching its peak at 31-32 gestational weeks. In both sexes, CD increased up to term, and α2 rapidly decreased up to 31-32weeks in an analogous manner. The two sexes differed significantly in response to VAST at <31 gestational weeks and there was a structural difference in reactive patterns under MNRC. Female fetuses exhibit greater heart rate dynamics in early gestational periods, suggesting that their cardiovascular system matures earlier than that of males. Male fetuses undergo a compensatory period of rapid change to catch up with females at term. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Stability, Consistency and Performance of Distribution Entropy in Analysing Short Length Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Signal.

    PubMed

    Karmakar, Chandan; Udhayakumar, Radhagayathri K; Li, Peng; Venkatesh, Svetha; Palaniswami, Marimuthu

    2017-01-01

    Distribution entropy ( DistEn ) is a recently developed measure of complexity that is used to analyse heart rate variability (HRV) data. Its calculation requires two input parameters-the embedding dimension m , and the number of bins M which replaces the tolerance parameter r that is used by the existing approximation entropy ( ApEn ) and sample entropy ( SampEn ) measures. The performance of DistEn can also be affected by the data length N . In our previous studies, we have analyzed stability and performance of DistEn with respect to one parameter ( m or M ) or combination of two parameters ( N and M ). However, impact of varying all the three input parameters on DistEn is not yet studied. Since DistEn is predominantly aimed at analysing short length heart rate variability (HRV) signal, it is important to comprehensively study the stability, consistency and performance of the measure using multiple case studies. In this study, we examined the impact of changing input parameters on DistEn for synthetic and physiological signals. We also compared the variations of DistEn and performance in distinguishing physiological (Elderly from Young) and pathological (Healthy from Arrhythmia) conditions with ApEn and SampEn . The results showed that DistEn values are minimally affected by the variations of input parameters compared to ApEn and SampEn. DistEn also showed the most consistent and the best performance in differentiating physiological and pathological conditions with various of input parameters among reported complexity measures. In conclusion, DistEn is found to be the best measure for analysing short length HRV time series.

  14. Heart rate dynamics in patients with stable angina pectoris and utility of fractal and complexity measures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Makikallio, T. H.; Ristimae, T.; Airaksinen, K. E.; Peng, C. K.; Goldberger, A. L.; Huikuri, H. V.

    1998-01-01

    Dynamic analysis techniques may uncover abnormalities in heart rate (HR) behavior that are not easily detectable with conventional statistical measures. However, the applicability of these new methods for detecting possible abnormalities in HR behavior in various cardiovascular disorders is not well established. Conventional measures of HR variability were compared with short-term (< or = 11 beats, alpha1) and long-term (> 11 beats, alpha2) fractal correlation properties and with approximate entropy of RR interval data in 38 patients with stable angina pectoris without previous myocardial infarction or cardiac medication at the time of the study and 38 age-matched healthy controls. The short- and long-term fractal scaling exponents (alpha1, alpha2) were significantly higher in the coronary patients than in the healthy controls (1.34 +/- 0.15 vs 1.11 +/- 0.12 [p <0.001] and 1.10 +/- 0.08 vs 1.04 +/- 0.06 [p <0.01], respectively), and they also had lower approximate entropy (p <0.05), standard deviation of all RR intervals (p <0.01), and high-frequency spectral component of HR variability (p <0.05). The short-term fractal scaling exponent performed better than other heart rate variability parameters in differentiating patients with coronary artery disease from healthy subjects, but it was not related to the clinical or angiographic severity of coronary artery disease or any single nonspectral or spectral measure of HR variability in this retrospective study. Patients with stable angina pectoris have altered fractal properties and reduced complexity in their RR interval dynamics relative to age-matched healthy subjects. Dynamic analysis may complement traditional analyses in detecting altered HR behavior in patients with stable angina pectoris.

  15. Relationship between the Handball-Specific Complex-Test and Intermittent Field Test performance in professional players.

    PubMed

    Hermassi, Souhail; Hoffmeyer, Birgit; Irlenbusch, Lars; Fieseler, Georg; Noack, Frank; Delank, Karl-Stefan; Gabbett, Tim J; Souhaiel Chelly, Mohamed; Schwesig, René

    2018-01-01

    We investigated the relationship between the Handball Complex-Test (HBCT) and two selected field performance tests (the repeated sprint ability [RSA], and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test) in elite handball players. Nineteen handball players (age: 25.7±5.1 years) were drawn from the First Professional German League. The HBCT consists of four activity series (AS): agility parcours, defensive action, sprint (10 m, 20 m) and throw-on-goal parcours; these activities were completed twice, with five active pauses of 30-35 s, and a follow-up of recovery over the subsequent 10 minutes. The RSA comprised 6 x (15+15 m) sprints starting every 20 s; scoring noted best time (RSAbest), total time (RSATT) and decrement (RSAdec). In the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recover, we recorded the total distance covered (TD). Heart rates (HR) were recorded throughout and recovery was assessed for measurements immediately post-test (R0) and 10 minutes after completing the test (R10). A strong correlation was found between HBCT and fastest 10 m and 20 m RSA sprint times (r=0.811, r=0.815, respectively). Also, the HBCT total 10 m and 20 m sprint times showed a strong positive association with RSATT (r=0.70; r=0.63, respectively), and the RSA heart rate post-test was strongly correlated with the HBCT heart rate after round two (r=0.865). Data from the match-specific HBCT Test shows a strong positive association with other more generic intermittent field test measurements. These observations support the validity of using the generic tests to monitor current fitness and responses to training in team handball players.

  16. Stability, Consistency and Performance of Distribution Entropy in Analysing Short Length Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Signal

    PubMed Central

    Karmakar, Chandan; Udhayakumar, Radhagayathri K.; Li, Peng; Venkatesh, Svetha; Palaniswami, Marimuthu

    2017-01-01

    Distribution entropy (DistEn) is a recently developed measure of complexity that is used to analyse heart rate variability (HRV) data. Its calculation requires two input parameters—the embedding dimension m, and the number of bins M which replaces the tolerance parameter r that is used by the existing approximation entropy (ApEn) and sample entropy (SampEn) measures. The performance of DistEn can also be affected by the data length N. In our previous studies, we have analyzed stability and performance of DistEn with respect to one parameter (m or M) or combination of two parameters (N and M). However, impact of varying all the three input parameters on DistEn is not yet studied. Since DistEn is predominantly aimed at analysing short length heart rate variability (HRV) signal, it is important to comprehensively study the stability, consistency and performance of the measure using multiple case studies. In this study, we examined the impact of changing input parameters on DistEn for synthetic and physiological signals. We also compared the variations of DistEn and performance in distinguishing physiological (Elderly from Young) and pathological (Healthy from Arrhythmia) conditions with ApEn and SampEn. The results showed that DistEn values are minimally affected by the variations of input parameters compared to ApEn and SampEn. DistEn also showed the most consistent and the best performance in differentiating physiological and pathological conditions with various of input parameters among reported complexity measures. In conclusion, DistEn is found to be the best measure for analysing short length HRV time series. PMID:28979215

  17. A wider view on gastric erosion: detailed evaluation of complex somatic and behavioral changes in rats treated with indomethacin at gastric ulcerogenic dose.

    PubMed

    Filaretova, L P; Bagaeva, T R; Morozova, O Y; Zelena, D

    2014-10-01

    Gastric erosion is widespread side effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. To examine the complexity of the brain-gut axis regulation, indomethacin-induced gastric erosion formation was studied in connection with somatic and behavioral changes. During a constant telemetric recording of heart rate, body temperature, and locomotion of male rats we examined the effects of 24 h fasting, indomethacin (35 mg/kg s.c.) injection, and refeeding at 4 h. Behavior was analyzed on elevated plus maze (EPM) at 24 h and somatic changes at 72 h. Gastric erosion developed 4 h after indomethacin injection, healed 72 h later contrasted by large injury in the small intestine. As classical signs of chronic stress, body and thymus weight were reduced while adrenal weight was enhanced 72 h after indomethacin injection. Fasting by itself changed all telemetrically recorded parameters with most prominent decrease in heart rate. Indomethacin induced similar diminishing effects with earliest and strongest temperature decrease. As a sign of more anxious phenotype locomotion reducing effect of indomethacin injection was detected on EPM. The EPM-induced temperature elevation was missing in indomethacin-treated animals. Fasting by itself induce somatic changes, which can make the animals more vulnerable to ulcerogenic stimuli. Development of indomethacin-induced gastrointestinal lesions happened in parallel with disturbances of heart rate, core body temperature, and chronic stress-like somatic changes as well as anxiety-like behavior. We have to be more aware of the existence of the brain-gut axis and should study changes in the whole body rather than focusing on a specific organ. elevated plus maze.

  18. Congenital heart disease infant death rates decrease as gestational age advances from 34 to 40 weeks.

    PubMed

    Cnota, James F; Gupta, Resmi; Michelfelder, Erik C; Ittenbach, Richard F

    2011-11-01

    To describe congenital heart disease death rates in infants born between 34 and 40 weeks, estimate the relationship between gestational age and congenital heart disease infant death rates, and compare congenital heart disease death rates across 1- and 2-week intervals in gestational age. The 2000 to 2003 national linked birth/infant death cohort datasets were obtained. Congenital heart disease deaths were identified by using International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Proportional death rates were calculated by using congenital heart disease deaths and all live births. The relationship between congenital heart disease death rates and gestational age was determined. Death rates were compared across intervals. A total of 14.9 million records were analyzed. Congenital heart disease deaths occurred in 4736 infants (0.04%) born between 34 and 40 weeks. There was a significant, negative linear relationship between congenital heart disease death rate and gestational age (R(2) = 0.97). Comparisons across 1-week intervals varied (P = .02-.23). All 2-week intervals were statistically significant (P < .01). Congenital heart disease death rates decrease as gestational age approaches 40 weeks. These results should be considered before elective delivery for the sole indication of prenatally diagnosed congenital heart disease. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Epidemiology and Outcomes After In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Punkaj; Jacobs, Jeffrey P.; Pasquali, Sara K.; Hill, Kevin D.; Gaynor, J. William; O’Brien, Sean M.; He, Max; Sheng, Shubin; Schexnayder, Stephen M.; Berg, Robert A.; Nadkarni, Vinay M.; Imamura, Michiaki; Jacobs, Marshall L.

    2014-01-01

    Background Multicenter data regarding cardiac arrest in children undergoing heart operations are limited. We describe epidemiology and outcomes associated with postoperative cardiac arrest in a large multiinstitutional cohort. Methods Patients younger than 18 years in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (2007 through 2012) were included. Patient factors, operative characteristics, and outcomes were described for patients with and without postoperative cardiac arrest. Multivariable models were used to evaluate the association of center volume with cardiac arrest rate and mortality after cardiac arrest, adjusting for patient and procedural factors. Results Of 70,270 patients (97 centers), 1,843 (2.6%) had postoperative cardiac arrest. Younger age, lower weight, and presence of preoperative morbidities (all p < 0.0001) were associated with cardiac arrest. Arrest rate increased with procedural complexity across common benchmark operations, ranging from 0.7% (ventricular septal defect repair) to 12.7% (Norwood operation). Cardiac arrest was associated with significant mortality risk across procedures, ranging from 15.4% to 62.3% (all p < 0.0001). In multivariable analysis, arrest rate was not associated with center volume (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.71 to 1.57 in low- versus high-volume centers). However, mortality after cardiac arrest was higher in low-volume centers (odds ratio, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.52 to 2.63). This association was present for both high- and low-complexity operations. Conclusions Cardiac arrest carries a significant mortality risk across the stratum of procedural complexity. Although arrest rates are not associated with center volume, lower-volume centers have increased mortality after cardiac arrest. Further study of mechanisms to prevent cardiac arrest and to reduce mortality in those with an arrest is warranted. PMID:25443018

  20. The predictive value of resting heart rate following osmotherapy in brain injury: back to basics.

    PubMed

    Hasanpour Mir, Mahsa; Yousefshahi, Fardin; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Ahmadi, Arezoo; Nadjafi, Atabak; Mojtahedzadeh, Mojtaba

    2012-12-30

    The importance of resting heart rate as a prognostic factor was described in several studies. An elevated heart rate is an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events and total mortality in patients with coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, and the general population. Also heart rate is elevated in the Multi Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS) and the mortality due to MODS is highly correlated with inadequate sinus tachycardia.To evaluate the value of resting heart rate in predicting mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury along scoring systems like Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation(APACHE II), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS). By analyzing data which was collected from an open labeled randomized clinical trial that compared the different means of osmotherapy (mannitol vs bolus or infusion hypertonic saline), heart rate, GCS, APACHE II and SOFA score were measured at baseline and daily for 7 days up to 60 days and the relationship between elevated heart rate and mortality during the first 7 days and 60th day were assessed. After adjustments for confounding factors, although there was no difference in mean heart rate between either groups of alive and expired patients, however, we have found a relative correlation between 60th day mortality rate and resting heart rate (P=0.07). Heart rate can be a prognostic factor for estimating mortality rate in brain injury patients along with APACHE II and SOFA scores in patients with brain injury.

  1. Parenting Behaviors, Parent Heart Rate Variability, and Their Associations with Adolescent Heart Rate Variability.

    PubMed

    Graham, Rebecca A; Scott, Brandon G; Weems, Carl F

    2017-05-01

    Adolescence is a potentially important time in the development of emotion regulation and parenting behaviors may play a role. We examined associations among parenting behaviors, parent resting heart rate variability, adolescent resting heart rate variability and parenting behaviors as moderators of the association between parent and adolescent resting heart rate variability. Ninety-seven youth (11-17 years; 49.5 % female; 34 % African American, 37.1 % Euro-American, 22.6 % other/mixed ethnic background, and 7.2 % Hispanic) and their parents (n = 81) completed a physiological assessment and questionnaires assessing parenting behaviors. Inconsistent discipline and corporal punishment were negatively associated with adolescent resting heart rate variability, while positive parenting and parental involvement were positively associated. Inconsistent discipline and parental involvement moderated the relationship between parent and adolescent resting heart rate variability. The findings provide evidence for a role of parenting behaviors in shaping the development of adolescent resting heart rate variability with inconsistent discipline and parental involvement potentially influencing the entrainment of resting heart rate variability in parents and their children.

  2. Prostaglandins are important in thermoregulation of a reptile (Pogona vitticeps).

    PubMed Central

    Seebacher, Frank; Franklin, Craig E

    2003-01-01

    The effectiveness of behavioural thermoregulation in reptiles is amplified by cardiovascular responses, particularly by differential rates of heart beat in response to heating and cooling (heart-rate hysteresis). Heart-rate hysteresis is ecologically important in most lineages of ectothermic reptile, and we demonstrate that heart-rate hysteresis in the lizard Pogona vitticeps is mediated by prostaglandins. In a control treatment (administration of saline), heart rates during heating were significantly faster than during cooling at any given body temperature. When cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 enzymes were inhibited, heart rates during heating were not significantly different from those during cooling. Administration of agonists showed that thromboxane B(2) did not have a significant effect on heart rate, but prostacyclin and prostaglandin F(2alpha) caused a significant increase (3.5 and 13.6 beats min(-1), respectively) in heart rate compared with control treatments. We speculate that heart-rate hysteresis evolved as a thermoregulatory mechanism that may ultimately be controlled by neurally induced stimulation of nitric oxide production, or maybe via photolytically induced production of vitamin D. PMID:12952634

  3. Prostaglandins are important in thermoregulation of a reptile (Pogona vitticeps).

    PubMed

    Seebacher, Frank; Franklin, Craig E

    2003-08-07

    The effectiveness of behavioural thermoregulation in reptiles is amplified by cardiovascular responses, particularly by differential rates of heart beat in response to heating and cooling (heart-rate hysteresis). Heart-rate hysteresis is ecologically important in most lineages of ectothermic reptile, and we demonstrate that heart-rate hysteresis in the lizard Pogona vitticeps is mediated by prostaglandins. In a control treatment (administration of saline), heart rates during heating were significantly faster than during cooling at any given body temperature. When cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 enzymes were inhibited, heart rates during heating were not significantly different from those during cooling. Administration of agonists showed that thromboxane B(2) did not have a significant effect on heart rate, but prostacyclin and prostaglandin F(2alpha) caused a significant increase (3.5 and 13.6 beats min(-1), respectively) in heart rate compared with control treatments. We speculate that heart-rate hysteresis evolved as a thermoregulatory mechanism that may ultimately be controlled by neurally induced stimulation of nitric oxide production, or maybe via photolytically induced production of vitamin D.

  4. Opposite and tissue-specific effects of coenzyme Q2 on mPTP opening and ROS production between heart and liver mitochondria: role of complex I.

    PubMed

    Gharib, Abdallah; De Paulis, Damien; Li, Bo; Augeul, Lionel; Couture-Lepetit, Elisabeth; Gomez, Ludovic; Angoulvant, Denis; Ovize, Michel

    2012-05-01

    Coenzyme Q(2) (CoQ(2)) is known to inhibit mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening in isolated rat liver mitochondria. In this study, we investigated and compared the effects of CoQ(2) on mPTP opening and ROS production in isolated rabbit heart and rat liver mitochondria. Mitochondria were isolated from New Zealand White rabbit hearts and Wistar rat livers. Oxygen consumption, Ca(2+)-induced mPTP opening, ROS production and NADH DUb-reductase activity were measured. Rotenone was used to investigate the effect of CoQ(2) on respiratory complex I activity. CoQ(2) (23 μM) reduced the respiratory control index by 32% and 57% (p<0.01) in heart and liver mitochondria respectively, mainly through an increased oxygen consumption in state 4. CoQ(2) induced a 60% (p<0.05) decrease of calcium retention capacity (CRC) in heart mitochondria and inversely a 46% (p<0.05) increase in liver mitochondria. In basal condition, CoQ(2) induced a 170% (p<0.05) increase of H(2)O(2) production in heart mitochondria and 21% (ns) decrease of H(2)O(2) production in liver mitochondria. Because rotenone, a complex I inhibitor, increases H(2)O(2) production in heart but not in liver mitochondria we investigated the CoQ(2) effect in a dose-response assay of complex I inhibition by rotenone in both mitochondria. CoQ(2) antagonized the effect of rotenone on respiratory complex I activity in liver but not in heart mitochondria. CoQ(2) significantly reduced NADH DUb-reductase activity in liver (-47%) and heart (-37%) mitochondria. In conclusion, our data showed that on the contrary to what was observed in liver mitochondria, CoQ(2) favors mPTP opening and ROS production in heart mitochondria through an opposite effect on respiratory complex I activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Behavioral correlates of heart rates of free-living Greater White-fronted Geese

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ely, Craig R.; Ward, D.H.; Bollinger, K.S.

    1999-01-01

    We simultaneously monitored the heart rate and behavior of nine free-living Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) on their wintering grounds in northern California. Heart rates of wild geese were monitored via abdominally-implanted radio transmitters with electrodes that received electrical impulses of the heart and emitted a radio signal with each ventricular contraction. Post-operative birds appeared to behave normally, readily rejoining flocks and flying up to 15 km daily from night-time roost sites to feed in surrounding agricultural fields. Heart rates varied significantly among individuals and among behaviors, and ranged from less than 100 beats per minute (BPM) during resting, to over 400 BPM during flight. Heart rates varied from 80 to 140 BPM during non-strenuous activities such as walking, feeding, and maintenance activities, to about 180 BPM when birds became alert, and over 400 BPM when birds were startled, even if they did not take flight. Postflight heart rate recovery time averaged < 10 sec. During agonistic encounters, heart rate exceeded 400 BPM; heart rates during social interactions were not predictable solely from postures, as heart rates were context-dependent, and were highest in initial encounters among individuals. Instantaneous measures of physiological parameters, such as heart rate, are often better indicators of the degree of response to external stimuli than visual observations and can be used to improve estimates of energy expenditure based solely on activity data.

  6. Reducing sojourn points from recurrence plots to improve transition detection: Application to fetal heart rate transitions.

    PubMed

    Zaylaa, Amira; Charara, Jamal; Girault, Jean-Marc

    2015-08-01

    The analysis of biomedical signals demonstrating complexity through recurrence plots is challenging. Quantification of recurrences is often biased by sojourn points that hide dynamic transitions. To overcome this problem, time series have previously been embedded at high dimensions. However, no one has quantified the elimination of sojourn points and rate of detection, nor the enhancement of transition detection has been investigated. This paper reports our on-going efforts to improve the detection of dynamic transitions from logistic maps and fetal hearts by reducing sojourn points. Three signal-based recurrence plots were developed, i.e. embedded with specific settings, derivative-based and m-time pattern. Determinism, cross-determinism and percentage of reduced sojourn points were computed to detect transitions. For logistic maps, an increase of 50% and 34.3% in sensitivity of detection over alternatives was achieved by m-time pattern and embedded recurrence plots with specific settings, respectively, and with a 100% specificity. For fetal heart rates, embedded recurrence plots with specific settings provided the best performance, followed by derivative-based recurrence plot, then unembedded recurrence plot using the determinism parameter. The relative errors between healthy and distressed fetuses were 153%, 95% and 91%. More than 50% of sojourn points were eliminated, allowing better detection of heart transitions triggered by gaseous exchange factors. This could be significant in improving the diagnosis of fetal state. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Relationship between heart rate and quiescent interval of the cardiac cycle in children using MRI.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Wei; Bogale, Saivivek; Golriz, Farahnaz; Krishnamurthy, Rajesh

    2017-11-01

    Imaging the heart in children comes with the challenge of constant cardiac motion. A prospective electrocardiography-triggered CT scan allows for scanning during a predetermined phase of the cardiac cycle with least motion. This technique requires knowing the optimal quiescent intervals of cardiac cycles in a pediatric population. To evaluate high-temporal-resolution cine MRI of the heart in children to determine the relationship of heart rate to the optimal quiescent interval within the cardiac cycle. We included a total of 225 consecutive patients ages 0-18 years who had high-temporal-resolution cine steady-state free-precession sequence performed as part of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or magnetic resonance angiography study of the heart. We determined the location and duration of the quiescent interval in systole and diastole for heart rates ranging 40-178 beats per minute (bpm). We performed the Wilcoxon signed rank test to compare the duration of quiescent interval in systole and diastole for each heart rate group. The duration of the quiescent interval at heart rates <80 bpm and >90 bpm was significantly longer in diastole and systole, respectively (P<.0001 for all ranges, except for 90-99 bpm [P=.02]). For heart rates 80-89 bpm, diastolic interval was longer than systolic interval, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=.06). We created a chart depicting optimal quiescent intervals across a range of heart rates that could be applied for prospective electrocardiography-triggered CT imaging of the heart. The optimal quiescent interval at heart rates <80 bpm is in diastole and at heart rates ≥90 bpm is in systole. The period of quiescence at heart rates 80-89 bpm is uniformly short in systole and diastole.

  8. The Accuracy and Validity of iOS-Based Heart Rate Apps During Moderate to High Intensity Exercise.

    PubMed

    Bouts, Alexa M; Brackman, Lauren; Martin, Elizabeth; Subasic, Adam M; Potkanowicz, Edward S

    2018-01-01

    People use their smartphones for everything from web browsing to tracking fitness metrics. However, it is unclear whether smartphone-based apps that use photoplethysmography to measure heart rate are an accurate or valid measure of exercise intensity. Purpose was to determine the accuracy and validity of two iOS-based heart rate monitors, Runtastic Heart Rate Monitor and Pulse Tracker PRO by Runtastic (Runtastic) and Instant Heart Rate+: Heart Rate and Pulse Monitor by Azumio (Instant Heart Rate), when compared to the electrocardiogram (ECG) and Polar® T31 uncoded heart rate monitor from moderate to vigorous intensity exercise. Participants were 15 male and female regularly active college students. Pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure were recorded and then participants exercised on a stationary bike at a pedal rate of between 50-60 rpms. After completing a warm-up stage at 40% of age estimated maximum heart rate (AEMHR), exercise intensity progressed from 50% of AEMHR through to 85% of AEMHR in eight, 5-minute stages. At the end of each stage, and having achieved steady-state, heart rates were recorded from each apparatus. After completing the final stage, participants completed a cooldown at 40% of their AEMHR. Post-exercise heart rate and blood pressure were also recorded to ensure full recovery to baseline. There was a strong positive correlation between the Polar® monitor and the ECG during all stages. However, there were not strong correlations for either of the smartphone-based apps at any time point. Although there were weak correlations between the smartphone-based apps and ECG and Polar®, further studies need to be conducted to determine if inaccuracy is due to user error (finger placement, finger temperature, etc.) or the technology behind the apps.

  9. The Accuracy and Validity of iOS-Based Heart Rate Apps During Moderate to High Intensity Exercise

    PubMed Central

    BOUTS, ALEXA M.; BRACKMAN, LAUREN; MARTIN, ELIZABETH; SUBASIC, ADAM M.; POTKANOWICZ, EDWARD S.

    2018-01-01

    People use their smartphones for everything from web browsing to tracking fitness metrics. However, it is unclear whether smartphone-based apps that use photoplethysmography to measure heart rate are an accurate or valid measure of exercise intensity. Purpose was to determine the accuracy and validity of two iOS-based heart rate monitors, Runtastic Heart Rate Monitor and Pulse Tracker PRO by Runtastic (Runtastic) and Instant Heart Rate+: Heart Rate and Pulse Monitor by Azumio (Instant Heart Rate), when compared to the electrocardiogram (ECG) and Polar® T31 uncoded heart rate monitor from moderate to vigorous intensity exercise. Participants were 15 male and female regularly active college students. Pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure were recorded and then participants exercised on a stationary bike at a pedal rate of between 50–60 rpms. After completing a warm-up stage at 40% of age estimated maximum heart rate (AEMHR), exercise intensity progressed from 50% of AEMHR through to 85% of AEMHR in eight, 5-minute stages. At the end of each stage, and having achieved steady-state, heart rates were recorded from each apparatus. After completing the final stage, participants completed a cooldown at 40% of their AEMHR. Post-exercise heart rate and blood pressure were also recorded to ensure full recovery to baseline. There was a strong positive correlation between the Polar® monitor and the ECG during all stages. However, there were not strong correlations for either of the smartphone-based apps at any time point. Although there were weak correlations between the smartphone-based apps and ECG and Polar®, further studies need to be conducted to determine if inaccuracy is due to user error (finger placement, finger temperature, etc.) or the technology behind the apps. PMID:29541341

  10. Arrhythmias (For Parents)

    MedlinePlus

    ... or a heart function test. What's a Normal Heart Rate? Heart rate is measured by counting the number of beats per minute. Someone's normal heart rate depends on things like the person's age and ...

  11. Estimating 'lost heart beats' rather than reductions in heart rate during the intubation of critically-ill children.

    PubMed

    Jones, Peter; Ovenden, Nick; Dauger, Stéphane; Peters, Mark J

    2014-01-01

    Reductions in heart rate occur frequently in children during critical care intubation and are currently considered the gold standard for haemodynamic instability. Our objective was to estimate loss of heart beats during intubation and compare this to reduction in heart rate alone whilst testing the impact of atropine pre-medication. Data were extracted from a prospective 2-year cohort study of intubation ECGs from critically ill children in PICU/Paediatric Transport. A three step algorithm was established to exclude variation in pre-intubation heart rate (using a 95%CI limit derived from pre-intubation heart rate variation of the children included), measure the heart rate over time and finally the estimate the numbers of lost beats. 333 intubations in children were eligible for inclusion of which 245 were available for analysis (74%). Intubations where the fall in heart rate was less than 50 bpm were accompanied almost exclusively by less than 25 lost beats (n = 175, median 0 [0-1]). When there was a reduction of >50 bpm there was a poor correlation with numbers of lost beats (n = 70, median 42 [15-83]). During intubation the median number of lost beats was 8 [1]-[32] when atropine was not used compared to 0 [0-0] when atropine was used (p<0.001). A reduction in heart rate during intubation of <50 bpm reliably predicted a minimal loss of beats. When the reduction in heart rate was >50 bpm the heart rate was poorly predictive of lost beats. A study looking at the relationship between lost beats and cardiac output needs to be performed. Atropine reduces both fall in heart rate and loss of beats. Similar area-under-the-curve methodology may be useful for estimating risk when biological parameters deviate outside normal range.

  12. Predominance of Intrinsic Mechanism of Resting Heart Rate Control and Preserved Baroreflex Sensitivity in Professional Cyclists after Competitive Training.

    PubMed

    Azevedo, Luciene Ferreira; Perlingeiro, Patricia; Hachul, Denise Tessariol; Gomes-Santos, Igor Lucas; Tsutsui, Jeane Mike; Negrao, Carlos Eduardo; De Matos, Luciana D N J

    2016-01-01

    Different season trainings may influence autonomic and non-autonomic cardiac control of heart rate and provokes specific adaptations on heart's structure in athletes. We investigated the influence of transition training (TT) and competitive training (CT) on resting heart rate, its mechanisms of control, spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and relationships between heart rate mechanisms and cardiac structure in professional cyclists (N = 10). Heart rate (ECG) and arterial blood pressure (Pulse Tonometry) were recorded continuously. Autonomic blockade was performed (atropine-0.04 mg.kg-1; esmolol-500 μg.kg-1 = 0.5 mg). Vagal effect, intrinsic heart rate, parasympathetic (n) and sympathetic (m) modulations, autonomic influence, autonomic balance and BRS were calculated. Plasma norepinephrine (high-pressure liquid chromatography) and cardiac structure (echocardiography) were evaluated. Resting heart rate was similar in TT and CT. However, vagal effect, intrinsic heart rate, autonomic influence and parasympathetic modulation (higher n value) decreased in CT (P≤0.05). Sympathetic modulation was similar in both trainings. The autonomic balance increased in CT but still showed parasympathetic predominance. Cardiac diameter, septum and posterior wall thickness and left ventricular mass also increased in CT (P<0.05) as well as diastolic function. We observed an inverse correlation between left ventricular diastolic diameter, septum and posterior wall thickness and left ventricular mass with intrinsic heart rate. Blood pressure and BRS were similar in both trainings. Intrinsic heart rate mechanism is predominant over vagal effect during CT, despite similar resting heart rate. Preserved blood pressure levels and BRS during CT are probably due to similar sympathetic modulation in both trainings.

  13. Six-minute walk test and heart rate variability: lack of association in advanced stages of heart failure.

    PubMed

    Woo, M A; Moser, D K; Stevenson, L W; Stevenson, W G

    1997-09-01

    The 6-minute walk and heart rate variability have been used to assess mortality risk in patients with heart failure, but their relationship to each other and their usefulness for predicting mortality at 1 year are unknown. To assess the relationships between the 6-minute walk test, heart rate variability, and 1-year mortality. A sample of 113 patients in advanced stages of heart failure (New York Heart Association Functional Class III-IV, left ventricular ejection < 0.25) were studied. All 6-minute walks took place in an enclosed, level, measured corridor and were supervised by the same nurse. Heart rate variability was measured by using (1) a standard-deviation method and (2) Poincaré plots. Data on RR intervals obtained by using 24-hour Holter monitoring were analyzed. Survival was determined at 1 year after the Holter recording. The results showed no significant associations between the results of the 6-minute walk and the two measures of heart rate variability. The results of the walk were related to 1-year mortality but not to the risk of sudden death. Both measures of heart rate variability had significant associations with 1-year mortality and with sudden death. However, only heart rate variability measured by using Poincaré plots was a predictor of total mortality and risk of sudden death, independent of left ventricular ejection fraction, serum levels of sodium, results of the 6-minute walk test, and the standard-deviation measure of heart rate variability. Results of the 6-minute walk have poor association with mortality and the two measures of heart rate variability in patients with advanced-stage heart failure and a low ejection fraction. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal clinical usefulness of the 6-minute walk and heart rate variability in patients with advanced-stage heart failure.

  14. Variability in heart rate recovery measurements over 1 year in healthy, middle-aged adults.

    PubMed

    Mellis, M G; Ingle, L; Carroll, S

    2014-02-01

    This study assessed the longer-term (12-month) variability in post-exercise heart rate recovery following a submaximal exercise test. Longitudinal data was analysed for 97 healthy middle-aged adults (74 male, 23 female) from 2 occasions, 12 months apart. Participants were retrospectively selected if they had stable physical activity habits, submaximal treadmill fitness and anthropometric measurements between the 2 assessment visits. A submaximal Bruce treadmill test was performed to at least 85% age-predicted maximum heart rate. Absolute heart rate and Δ heart rate recovery (change from peak exercise heart rate) were recorded for 1 and 2 min post-exercise in an immediate supine position. Heart rate recovery at both time-points was shown to be reliable with intra-class correlation coefficient values ≥ 0.714. Absolute heart rate 1-min post-exercise showed the strongest agreement between repeat tests (r = 0.867, P < 0.001). Lower coefficient of variation (≤ 10.2%) and narrower limits of agreement were found for actual heart rate values rather than Δ heart rate recovery, and for 1-min rather than 2-min post-exercise recovery time points. Log-transformed values generated better variability with acceptable coefficient of variation for all measures (2.2-10%). Overall, 1 min post-exercise heart rate recovery data had least variability over the 12-month period in apparently healthy middle-aged adults. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  15. Elevated resting heart rate is associated with dyslipidemia in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

    PubMed

    Sun, Ji Chao; Huang, Xiao Lin; Deng, Xin Ru; Lv, Xiao Fei; Lu, Jie Li; Chen, Yu Hong; Bi, Yu Fang; Wang, Wei Qing; Xu, Min; Ning, Guang

    2014-08-01

    To study the relationship between resting heart rate and blood lipid level. A total of 9 415 subjects aged ⋝ 40 years were included in the present study. Their resting heart rate was monitored and their serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured to define dyslipidemia according to the 2007 Chinese Guidelines on Prevention and Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Adults. The subjects were divided into group A with their resting heart rate <70 beats/min, group B with their resting heart rate =70-79 beats/min, group C with their resting heart rate =80-89 beats/min, and group D with their resting heart rate ⋝ 90 beats/min. High TG, TC, and LDL-C were presented across the resting heart rate (Ptrend <0.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of high TG and TC was higher in subjects with their resting heart rate ⋝ 90 beats/min than in those with their resting heart rate <70 beats/min (OR=1.42; 95% CI: 1.16-1.74 and OR=1.33; 95% CI: 1.09-1.64, respectively). Elevated resting heart rate is associated with high TG and TC in middle-aged and elderly Chinese subjects. Copyright © 2014 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

  16. Xenopus as a Model Organism for Birth Defects – Congenital Heart Disease and Heterotaxy

    PubMed Central

    Duncan, Anna R.; Khokha, Mustafa K.

    2016-01-01

    Congenital heart disease is the leading cause of birth defects, affecting 9 out of 1000 newborns each year. A particularly severe form of congenital heart disease is heterotaxy, a disorder of left-right development. Despite aggressive surgical management, patients with heterotaxy have poor survival rates and severe morbidity due to their complex congenital heart disease. Recent genetic analysis of affected patients has found novel candidate genes for heterotaxy although their underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this review, we discuss the importance and challenges of birth defects research including high locus heterogeneity and few second alleles that make defining disease causality difficult. A powerful strategy moving forward is to analyze these candidate genes in a high-throughput human disease model. Xenopus is ideal for these studies. We present multiple examples demonstrating the power of Xenopus in discovery new biology from the analysis of candidate heterotaxy genes such as GALNT11, NEK2 and BCOR. These genes have diverse roles in embryos and have led to a greater understanding of complex signaling pathways and basic developmental biology. It is our hope that the mechanistic analysis of these candidate genes in Xenopus enabled by next generation sequencing of patients will provide clinicians with a greater understanding of patient pathophysiology allowing more precise and personalized medicine, to help them more effectively in the future. PMID:26910255

  17. Regional Variations in the Prevalence of Major Congenital Malformations in Quebec: The Importance of Fetal Growth Environment.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Jin-Ping; Sheehy, Odile; Bérard, Anick

    2015-01-01

    Congenital anomalies are the consequence of a complex interaction between genetic predisposition and fetal environment. Based on the Congenital Anomalies Surveillance in Canada Report, between 1998 and 2007 the rate of congenital heart defects in Quebec was significantly higher than the Canadian average; no data on the overall prevalence of congenital anomalies for Quebec or data on regional variations in any province are available. To estimate the prevalence of major congenital malformations (MCMs) in all of the 17 administrative regions of Quebec. Using data from the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort, we included infants if they were born between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2008. MCMs were identified within the infant's first year of life using validated ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. The rate of MCMs was calculated and stratified on Quebec's administrative regions. Among 152,353 eligible infants, the prevalence of MCMs was 36.6 (all rates were reported as per 1,000 live births). The regions with the highest rate of MCMs were Lanaudière (48.1), Laval (45.8), and Mauricie (45.1). Regions with the lowest rate were Outaouais (13.4), Côte-Nord (19.1), Abitibi-Témiscamingue (27.5), Gaspésie-îles-de-la-Madeleine (27.9), and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (28.9). Congenital heart defects (10.3) and musculoskeletal anomalies (12.6) were the most common. Laval had the highest rate of heart defects (16.1), and Lanaudière had the highest rate of musculoskeletal anomalies (22.0). The central regions of Quebec had high rate of MCMs, whereas the relatively genetically homogenous peripheral regions of Quebec had lower rate of MCM, suggesting the importance of fetal growth environment in the etiology of MCMs in Quebec.

  18. Heart Rate Response in Spectators of the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Team.

    PubMed

    Khairy, Leia T; Barin, Roxana; Demonière, Fabrice; Villemaire, Christine; Billo, Marie-Josée; Tardif, Jean-Claude; Macle, Laurent; Khairy, Paul

    2017-12-01

    To our knowledge, heart rate responses have not previously been assessed in hockey fans. We quantified heart rate increases in spectators of the Montreal Canadiens, compared televised with live games, explored features associated with peak heart rates, and assessed whether increases correlate with a fan passion score. Healthy adults were enrolled, with half attending live games and half viewing televised games. All subjects completed questionnaires and had continuous Holter monitoring. Intensity of the physical stress response was defined according to previously published heart rate index thresholds as mild (< 1.33), moderate (1.33-1.83), or vigorous (> 1.83). In 20 participants, 35% women, age 46 ± 10 years, the heart rate increased by a median of 92% during the hockey game, from 60 (interquartile range, 54-65) beats per minute at rest to 114 (interquartile range, 103-129) beats per minute (P < 0.001). The heart rate increased by 110% vs 75% during live vs televised games (P < 0.001). Heart rate index (2.16 ± 0.27 vs 1.73 ± 0.15; P < 0.001) and percent maximum predicted heart rate attained (75% ± 8% vs 58% ± 7%; P < 0.001) were significantly higher during live vs televised games. Number of premature beats was nonsignificantly higher during live games (5 vs 1; P = 0.181). The fan passion score was not predictive of the heart rate response (P = 0.753). Peak heart rates most commonly occurred during overtime (40%) and scoring opportunities for (25%) and against (15%). It is exciting to watch the Montreal Canadiens! Viewing a live hockey game is associated with a heart rate response equivalent to vigorous physical stress and a televised game to moderate physical stress. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Conventional heart rate variability analysis of ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings fails to predict imminent ventricular fibrillation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vybiral, T.; Glaeser, D. H.; Goldberger, A. L.; Rigney, D. R.; Hess, K. R.; Mietus, J.; Skinner, J. E.; Francis, M.; Pratt, C. M.

    1993-01-01

    OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this report was to study heart rate variability in Holter recordings of patients who experienced ventricular fibrillation during the recording. BACKGROUND. Decreased heart rate variability is recognized as a long-term predictor of overall and arrhythmic death after myocardial infarction. It was therefore postulated that heart rate variability would be lowest when measured immediately before ventricular fibrillation. METHODS. Conventional indexes of heart rate variability were calculated from Holter recordings of 24 patients with structural heart disease who had ventricular fibrillation during monitoring. The control group consisted of 19 patients with coronary artery disease, of comparable age and left ventricular ejection fraction, who had nonsustained ventricular tachycardia but no ventricular fibrillation. RESULTS. Heart rate variability did not differ between the two groups, and no consistent trends in heart rate variability were observed before ventricular fibrillation occurred. CONCLUSIONS. Although conventional heart rate variability is an independent long-term predictor of adverse outcome after myocardial infarction, its clinical utility as a short-term predictor of life-threatening arrhythmias remains to be elucidated.

  20. An online sleep apnea detection method based on recurrence quantification analysis.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Hoa Dinh; Wilkins, Brek A; Cheng, Qi; Benjamin, Bruce Allen

    2014-07-01

    This paper introduces an online sleep apnea detection method based on heart rate complexity as measured by recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) statistics of heart rate variability (HRV) data. RQA statistics can capture nonlinear dynamics of a complex cardiorespiratory system during obstructive sleep apnea. In order to obtain a more robust measurement of the nonstationarity of the cardiorespiratory system, we use different fixed amount of neighbor thresholdings for recurrence plot calculation. We integrate a feature selection algorithm based on conditional mutual information to select the most informative RQA features for classification, and hence, to speed up the real-time classification process without degrading the performance of the system. Two types of binary classifiers, i.e., support vector machine and neural network, are used to differentiate apnea from normal sleep. A soft decision fusion rule is developed to combine the results of these classifiers in order to improve the classification performance of the whole system. Experimental results show that our proposed method achieves better classification results compared with the previous recurrence analysis-based approach. We also show that our method is flexible and a strong candidate for a real efficient sleep apnea detection system.

  1. Decursin and decursinol angelate selectively inhibit NADH-fumarate reductase of Ascaris suum.

    PubMed

    Shiomi, Kazuro; Hatano, Hiroko; Morimoto, Hiromi; Ui, Hideaki; Sakamoto, Kimitoshi; Kita, Kiyoshi; Tomoda, Hiroshi; Lee, Eun Woo; Heo, Tae Ryeon; Kawagishi, Hirokazu; Omura, Satoshi

    2007-11-01

    NADH-fumarate reductase (NFRD) is a key enzyme in many anaerobic helminths. Decursin and decursinol angelate have been isolated from the roots of ANGELICA GIGAS Nakai (Apiaceae) as NFRD inhibitors. They inhibited ASCARIS SUUM NFRD with IC (50) values of 1.1 and 2.7 microM, respectively. Their target is the electron transport enzyme complex I. Since the inhibitory activities of decursin against bovine heart complexes are weak, it is a selective inhibitor of the nematode complex I. In contrast, decursinol angelate moderately inhibits bovine heart complexes II and III. Decursinol inhibits A. SUUM NFRD to a similar extent, but its target is complex II. It also inhibits bovine heart complexes II and III.

  2. Association between heart rate variability and manual pulse rate.

    PubMed

    Hart, John

    2013-09-01

    One model for neurological assessment in chiropractic pertains to autonomic variability, tested commonly with heart rate variability (HRV). Since HRV may not be convenient to use on all patient visits, more user-friendly methods may help fill-in the gaps. Accordingly, this study tests the association between manual pulse rate and heart rate variability. The manual rates were also compared to the heart rate derived from HRV. Forty-eight chiropractic students were examined with heart rate variability (SDNN and mean heart rate) and two manual radial pulse rate measurements. Inclusion criteria consisted of participants being chiropractic students. Exclusion criteria for 46 of the participants consisted of a body mass index being greater than 30, age greater than 35, and history of: a) dizziness upon standing, b) treatment of psychiatric disorders, and c) diabetes. No exclusion criteria were applied to the remaining two participants who were also convenience sample volunteers. Linear associations between the manual pulse rate methods and the two heart rate variability measures (SDNN and mean heart) were tested with Pearson's correlation and simple linear regression. Moderate strength inverse (expected) correlations were observed between both manual pulse rate methods and SDNN (r = -0.640, 95% CI -0.781, -0.435; r = -0.632, 95% CI -0.776, -0.425). Strong direct (expected) relationships were observed between the manual pulse rate methods and heart rate derived from HRV technology (r = 0.934, 95% CI 0.885, 0.962; r = 0.941, 95% CI 0.897, 0.966). Manual pulse rates may be a useful option for assessing autonomic variability. Furthermore, this study showed a strong relationship between manual pulse rates and heart rate derived from HRV technology.

  3. Blood Pressure vs. Heart Rate

    MedlinePlus

    ... Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Blood Pressure vs. Heart Rate (Pulse) Updated:Nov 13,2017 Understanding the difference ... your blood moving through your blood vessels, your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats ...

  4. The predictive value of resting heart rate following osmotherapy in brain injury: back to basics

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The importance of resting heart rate as a prognostic factor was described in several studies. An elevated heart rate is an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events and total mortality in patients with coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, and the general population. Also heart rate is elevated in the Multi Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS) and the mortality due to MODS is highly correlated with inadequate sinus tachycardia. To evaluate the value of resting heart rate in predicting mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury along scoring systems like Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation(APACHE II), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS). Method By analyzing data which was collected from an open labeled randomized clinical trial that compared the different means of osmotherapy (mannitol vs bolus or infusion hypertonic saline), heart rate, GCS, APACHE II and SOFA score were measured at baseline and daily for 7 days up to 60 days and the relationship between elevated heart rate and mortality during the first 7 days and 60th day were assessed. Results After adjustments for confounding factors, although there was no difference in mean heart rate between either groups of alive and expired patients, however, we have found a relative correlation between 60th day mortality rate and resting heart rate (P=0.07). Conclusion Heart rate can be a prognostic factor for estimating mortality rate in brain injury patients along with APACHE II and SOFA scores in patients with brain injury. PMID:23351393

  5. Heart rates increase after hatching in two species of natricine snakes

    PubMed Central

    Aubret, Fabien

    2013-01-01

    Experimental studies have shown heart rates to decrease from embryo to hatchling stage in turtles, remain steady in skinks, and increase in birds. However, no snake species has been studied in this regard. I recorded heart rate evolution trajectories from embryo to juvenile stage in 78 eggs from two species of European Natricine snakes. Unexpectedly, snakes behaved more like birds than turtles or lizards: heart rates increased after hatching in both N. maura and N. natrix, respectively by 43.92 ± 22.84% and 35.92 ± 24.52%. Heart rate shift was not related to an abrupt elevation of metabolism per se (snakes that increased their heart rates the most sharply grew the least after birth), but rather due to a number of smaller eggs that experienced lower than normal heart rates throughout the incubation and recovered a normal heart rate post-birth. This finding is discussed in the light of hatching synchrony benefits. PMID:24287712

  6. Information Theory to Probe Intrapartum Fetal Heart Rate Dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Granero-Belinchon, Carlos; Roux, Stéphane; Abry, Patrice; Doret, Muriel; Garnier, Nicolas

    2017-11-01

    Intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring constitutes a reference tool in clinical practice to assess the baby health status and to detect fetal acidosis. It is usually analyzed by visual inspection grounded on FIGO criteria. Characterization of Intrapartum fetal heart rate temporal dynamics remains a challenging task and continuously receives academic research efforts. Complexity measures, often implemented with tools referred to as \\emph{Approximate Entropy} (ApEn) or \\emph{Sample Entropy} (SampEn), have regularly been reported as significant features for intrapartum FHR analysis. We explore how Information Theory, and especially {\\em auto mutual information} (AMI), is connected to ApEn and SampEn and can be used to probe FHR dynamics. Applied to a large (1404 subjects) and documented database of FHR data, collected in a French academic hospital, it is shown that i) auto mutual information outperforms ApEn and SampEn for acidosis detection in the first stage of labor and continues to yield the best performance in the second stage; ii) Shannon entropy increases as labor progresses, and is always much larger in the second stage;iii) babies suffering from fetal acidosis additionally show more structured temporal dynamics than healthy ones and that this progressive structuration can be used for early acidosis detection.

  7. Discovery of novel heart rate-associated loci using the Exome Chip

    PubMed Central

    van den Berg, Marten E.; Warren, Helen R.; Cabrera, Claudia P.; Verweij, Niek; Mifsud, Borbala; Haessler, Jeffrey; Bihlmeyer, Nathan A.; Fu, Yi-Ping; Weiss, Stefan; Lin, Henry J.; Grarup, Niels; Li-Gao, Ruifang; Pistis, Giorgio; Shah, Nabi; Brody, Jennifer A.; Müller-Nurasyid, Martina; Lin, Honghuang; Mei, Hao; Smith, Albert V.; Lyytikäinen, Leo-Pekka; Hall, Leanne M.; van Setten, Jessica; Trompet, Stella; Prins, Bram P.; Isaacs, Aaron; Radmanesh, Farid; Marten, Jonathan; Entwistle, Aiman; Kors, Jan A.; Silva, Claudia T.; Alonso, Alvaro; Bis, Joshua C.; de Boer, Rudolf; de Haan, Hugoline G.; de Mutsert, Renée; Dedoussis, George; Dominiczak, Anna F.; Doney, Alex S. F.; Ellinor, Patrick T.; Eppinga, Ruben N.; Felix, Stephan B.; Guo, Xiuqing; Hagemeijer, Yanick; Hansen, Torben; Harris, Tamara B.; Heckbert, Susan R.; Huang, Paul L.; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Kähönen, Mika; Kanters, Jørgen K.; Kolcic, Ivana; Launer, Lenore J.; Li, Man; Yao, Jie; Linneberg, Allan; Liu, Simin; Macfarlane, Peter W.; Mangino, Massimo; Morris, Andrew D.; Mulas, Antonella; Murray, Alison D.; Nelson, Christopher P.; Orrú, Marco; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Peters, Annette; Porteous, David J.; Poulter, Neil; Psaty, Bruce M.; Qi, Lihong; Raitakari, Olli T.; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Roselli, Carolina; Rudan, Igor; Sattar, Naveed; Sever, Peter; Sinner, Moritz F.; Soliman, Elsayed Z.; Spector, Timothy D.; Stanton, Alice V.; Stirrups, Kathleen E.; Taylor, Kent D.; Tobin, Martin D.; Uitterlinden, André; Vaartjes, Ilonca; Hoes, Arno W.; van der Meer, Peter; Völker, Uwe; Waldenberger, Melanie; Xie, Zhijun; Zoledziewska, Magdalena; Tinker, Andrew; Polasek, Ozren; Rosand, Jonathan; Jamshidi, Yalda; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Jukema, J. Wouter; Asselbergs, Folkert W.; Samani, Nilesh J.; Lehtimäki, Terho; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Wilson, James; Lubitz, Steven A.; Kääb, Stefan; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Caulfield, Mark J.; Palmer, Colin N. A.; Sanna, Serena; Mook-Kanamori, Dennis O.; Deloukas, Panos; Pedersen, Oluf; Rotter, Jerome I.; Dörr, Marcus; O'Donnell, Chris J.; Hayward, Caroline; Arking, Dan E.; Kooperberg, Charles; van der Harst, Pim; Eijgelsheim, Mark; Stricker, Bruno H.; Munroe, Patricia B.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Resting heart rate is a heritable trait, and an increase in heart rate is associated with increased mortality risk. Genome-wide association study analyses have found loci associated with resting heart rate, at the time of our study these loci explained 0.9% of the variation. This study aims to discover new genetic loci associated with heart rate from Exome Chip meta-analyses. Heart rate was measured from either elecrtrocardiograms or pulse recordings. We meta-analysed heart rate association results from 104 452 European-ancestry individuals from 30 cohorts, genotyped using the Exome Chip. Twenty-four variants were selected for follow-up in an independent dataset (UK Biobank, N = 134 251). Conditional and gene-based testing was undertaken, and variants were investigated with bioinformatics methods. We discovered five novel heart rate loci, and one new independent low-frequency non-synonymous variant in an established heart rate locus (KIAA1755). Lead variants in four of the novel loci are non-synonymous variants in the genes C10orf71, DALDR3, TESK2 and SEC31B. The variant at SEC31B is significantly associated with SEC31B expression in heart and tibial nerve tissue. Further candidate genes were detected from long-range regulatory chromatin interactions in heart tissue (SCD, SLF2 and MAPK8). We observed significant enrichment in DNase I hypersensitive sites in fetal heart and lung. Moreover, enrichment was seen for the first time in human neuronal progenitor cells (derived from embryonic stem cells) and fetal muscle samples by including our novel variants. Our findings advance the knowledge of the genetic architecture of heart rate, and indicate new candidate genes for follow-up functional studies. PMID:28379579

  8. Discovery of novel heart rate-associated loci using the Exome Chip.

    PubMed

    van den Berg, Marten E; Warren, Helen R; Cabrera, Claudia P; Verweij, Niek; Mifsud, Borbala; Haessler, Jeffrey; Bihlmeyer, Nathan A; Fu, Yi-Ping; Weiss, Stefan; Lin, Henry J; Grarup, Niels; Li-Gao, Ruifang; Pistis, Giorgio; Shah, Nabi; Brody, Jennifer A; Müller-Nurasyid, Martina; Lin, Honghuang; Mei, Hao; Smith, Albert V; Lyytikäinen, Leo-Pekka; Hall, Leanne M; van Setten, Jessica; Trompet, Stella; Prins, Bram P; Isaacs, Aaron; Radmanesh, Farid; Marten, Jonathan; Entwistle, Aiman; Kors, Jan A; Silva, Claudia T; Alonso, Alvaro; Bis, Joshua C; de Boer, Rudolf; de Haan, Hugoline G; de Mutsert, Renée; Dedoussis, George; Dominiczak, Anna F; Doney, Alex S F; Ellinor, Patrick T; Eppinga, Ruben N; Felix, Stephan B; Guo, Xiuqing; Hagemeijer, Yanick; Hansen, Torben; Harris, Tamara B; Heckbert, Susan R; Huang, Paul L; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Kähönen, Mika; Kanters, Jørgen K; Kolcic, Ivana; Launer, Lenore J; Li, Man; Yao, Jie; Linneberg, Allan; Liu, Simin; Macfarlane, Peter W; Mangino, Massimo; Morris, Andrew D; Mulas, Antonella; Murray, Alison D; Nelson, Christopher P; Orrú, Marco; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Peters, Annette; Porteous, David J; Poulter, Neil; Psaty, Bruce M; Qi, Lihong; Raitakari, Olli T; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Roselli, Carolina; Rudan, Igor; Sattar, Naveed; Sever, Peter; Sinner, Moritz F; Soliman, Elsayed Z; Spector, Timothy D; Stanton, Alice V; Stirrups, Kathleen E; Taylor, Kent D; Tobin, Martin D; Uitterlinden, André; Vaartjes, Ilonca; Hoes, Arno W; van der Meer, Peter; Völker, Uwe; Waldenberger, Melanie; Xie, Zhijun; Zoledziewska, Magdalena; Tinker, Andrew; Polasek, Ozren; Rosand, Jonathan; Jamshidi, Yalda; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Jukema, J Wouter; Asselbergs, Folkert W; Samani, Nilesh J; Lehtimäki, Terho; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Wilson, James; Lubitz, Steven A; Kääb, Stefan; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Caulfield, Mark J; Palmer, Colin N A; Sanna, Serena; Mook-Kanamori, Dennis O; Deloukas, Panos; Pedersen, Oluf; Rotter, Jerome I; Dörr, Marcus; O'Donnell, Chris J; Hayward, Caroline; Arking, Dan E; Kooperberg, Charles; van der Harst, Pim; Eijgelsheim, Mark; Stricker, Bruno H; Munroe, Patricia B

    2017-06-15

    Resting heart rate is a heritable trait, and an increase in heart rate is associated with increased mortality risk. Genome-wide association study analyses have found loci associated with resting heart rate, at the time of our study these loci explained 0.9% of the variation. This study aims to discover new genetic loci associated with heart rate from Exome Chip meta-analyses.Heart rate was measured from either elecrtrocardiograms or pulse recordings. We meta-analysed heart rate association results from 104 452 European-ancestry individuals from 30 cohorts, genotyped using the Exome Chip. Twenty-four variants were selected for follow-up in an independent dataset (UK Biobank, N = 134 251). Conditional and gene-based testing was undertaken, and variants were investigated with bioinformatics methods.We discovered five novel heart rate loci, and one new independent low-frequency non-synonymous variant in an established heart rate locus (KIAA1755). Lead variants in four of the novel loci are non-synonymous variants in the genes C10orf71, DALDR3, TESK2 and SEC31B. The variant at SEC31B is significantly associated with SEC31B expression in heart and tibial nerve tissue. Further candidate genes were detected from long-range regulatory chromatin interactions in heart tissue (SCD, SLF2 and MAPK8). We observed significant enrichment in DNase I hypersensitive sites in fetal heart and lung. Moreover, enrichment was seen for the first time in human neuronal progenitor cells (derived from embryonic stem cells) and fetal muscle samples by including our novel variants.Our findings advance the knowledge of the genetic architecture of heart rate, and indicate new candidate genes for follow-up functional studies. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  9. Heart rate at baseline influences the effect of ivabradine on cardiovascular outcomes in chronic heart failure: analysis from the SHIFT study.

    PubMed

    Böhm, Michael; Borer, Jeffrey; Ford, Ian; Gonzalez-Juanatey, Jose R; Komajda, Michel; Lopez-Sendon, Jose; Reil, Jan-Christian; Swedberg, Karl; Tavazzi, Luigi

    2013-01-01

    We analysed the effect of ivabradine on outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients on recommended background therapies with heart rates ≥75 bpm and <75 bpm in the SHIFT trial. A cut-off value of ≥75 bpm was chosen by the EMEA for approval for the use of ivabradine in chronic heart failure. The SHIFT population was divided by baseline heart rate ≥75 or <75 bpm. The effect of ivabradine was analysed for primary composite endpoint (cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization) and other endpoints. In the ≥75 bpm group, ivabradine reduced primary endpoint (HR 0.76, 95 % CI 0.68-0.85, P < 0.0001), all-cause mortality (HR 0.83, 95 % CI, 0.72-0.96, P = 0.0109), cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.83, 95 % CI, (0.71-0.97, P = 0.0166), HF death (HR 0.61, 95 % CI, 0.46-0.81, P < 0.0006), and HF hospitalization (HR 0.70, 95 % CI, 0.61-0.80, P < 0.0001). Risk reduction depended on heart rate after 28 days, with the best protection for heart rates <60 bpm or reductions >10 bpm. None of the endpoints was significantly reduced in the <75 bpm group, though there were trends for risk reductions in HF death and hospitalization for heart rate <60 bpm and reductions >10 bpm. Ivabradine was tolerated similarly in both groups. The effect of ivabradine on outcomes is greater in patients with heart rate ≥75 bpm with heart rates achieved <60 bpm or heart rate reductions >10 bpm predicting best risk reduction. Our findings emphasize the importance of identification of high-risk HF patients by high heart rates and their treatment with heart rate-lowering drugs such as ivabradine.

  10. Association of intraventricular mechanical dyssynchrony with response to cardiac resynchronization therapy in heart failure patients with a narrow QRS complex

    PubMed Central

    van Bommel, Rutger J.; Tanaka, Hidekazu; Delgado, Victoria; Bertini, Matteo; Borleffs, Carel Jan Willem; Ajmone Marsan, Nina; Holzmeister, Johannes; Ruschitzka, Frank; Schalij, Martin J.; Bax, Jeroen J.; Gorcsan, John

    2010-01-01

    Aims Current criteria for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are restricted to patients with a wide QRS complex (>120 ms). Overall, only 30% of heart failure patients demonstrate a wide QRS complex, leaving the majority of heart failure patients without this treatment option. However, patients with a narrow QRS complex exhibit left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony, as assessed with echocardiography. To further elucidate the possible beneficial effect of CRT in heart failure patients with a narrow QRS complex, this two-centre, non-randomized observational study focused on different echocardiographic parameters of LV mechanical dyssynchrony reflecting atrioventricular, interventricular and intraventricular dyssynchrony, and the response to CRT in these patients. Methods and results A total of 123 consecutive heart failure patients with a narrow QRS complex (<120 ms) undergoing CRT was included at two centres. Several widely accepted measures of mechanical dyssynchrony were evaluated: LV filling ratio (LVFT/RR), LV pre-ejection time (LPEI), interventricular mechanical dyssynchrony (IVMD), opposing wall delay (OWD), and anteroseptal posterior wall delay with speckle tracking (ASPWD). Response to CRT was defined as a reduction ≥15% in left ventricular end-systolic volume at 6 months follow-up. Measures of dyssynchrony can frequently be observed in patients with a narrow QRS complex. Nonetheless, for LVFT/RR, LPEI, and IVMD, presence of predefined significant dyssynchrony is <20%. Significant intraventricular dyssynchrony is more widely observed in these patients. With receiver operator characteristic curve analyses, both OWD and ASPWD demonstrated usefulness in predicting response to CRT in narrow QRS patients with a cut-off value of 75 and 107 ms, respectively. Conclusion Mechanical dyssynchrony can be widely observed in heart failure patients with a narrow QRS complex. In particular, intraventricular measures of mechanical dyssynchrony may be useful in predicting LV reverse remodelling at 6 months follow-up in heart failure patients with a narrow QRS complex, but with more stringent cut-off values than currently used in ‘wide’ QRS patients. PMID:20864484

  11. Simultaneous measurement of instantaneous heart rate and chest wall plethysmography in short-term, metronome guided heart rate variability studies: suitability for assessment of autonomic dysfunction.

    PubMed

    Perring, S; Jones, E

    2003-08-01

    Instantaneous heart rate and chest wall motion were measured using a 3-lead ECG and an air pressure chest wall plethysmography system. Chest wall plethysmography traces were found to accurately represent the breathing pattern as measured by spirometry (average correlation coefficient 0.944); though no attempt was made to calibrate plethysmography voltage output to tidal volume. Simultaneous measurements of heart rate and chest wall motion were made for short periods under metronome guided breathing at 6 breaths per minute. The average peak to trough heart rate change per breath cycle (AVEMAX) and maximum correlation between heart rate and breathing cycle (HRBRCORR) were measured. Studies of 44 normal volunteers indicated clear inverse correlation of heart rate variability parameters with age (AVEMAX R = -0.502, P < 0.001) but no significant change in HRBRCORR with age (R = -0.115). Comparison of normal volunteers with diabetics with no history of symptoms associated with autonomic failure indicated significant lower heart rate variability in diabetics (P = 0.005 for AVEMAX) and significantly worse correlation between heart rate and breathing (P < 0.001 for HRBRCORR). Simultaneous measurement of heart rate and breathing offers the possibility of more sensitive diagnosis of autonomic failure in a simple bedside test and gives further insight into the nature of cardio-ventilatory coupling.

  12. Heart Rate Assessment Immediately after Birth.

    PubMed

    Phillipos, Emily; Solevåg, Anne Lee; Pichler, Gerhard; Aziz, Khalid; van Os, Sylvia; O'Reilly, Megan; Cheung, Po-Yin; Schmölzer, Georg M

    2016-01-01

    Heart rate assessment immediately after birth in newborn infants is critical to the correct guidance of resuscitation efforts. There are disagreements as to the best method to measure heart rate. The aim of this study was to assess different methods of heart rate assessment in newborn infants at birth to determine the fastest and most accurate method. PubMed, EMBASE and Google Scholar were systematically searched using the following terms: 'infant', 'heart rate', 'monitoring', 'delivery room', 'resuscitation', 'stethoscope', 'auscultation', 'palpation', 'pulse oximetry', 'electrocardiogram', 'Doppler ultrasound', 'photoplethysmography' and 'wearable sensors'. Eighteen studies were identified that described various methods of heart rate assessment in newborn infants immediately after birth. Studies examining auscultation, palpation, pulse oximetry, electrocardiography and Doppler ultrasound as ways to measure heart rate were included. Heart rate measurements by pulse oximetry are superior to auscultation and palpation, but there is contradictory evidence about its accuracy depending on whether the sensor is connected to the infant or the oximeter first. Several studies indicate that electrocardiogram provides a reliable heart rate faster than pulse oximetry. Doppler ultrasound shows potential for clinical use, however future evidence is needed to support this conclusion. Heart rate assessment is important and there are many measurement methods. The accuracy of routinely applied methods varies, with palpation and auscultation being the least accurate and electrocardiogram being the most accurate. More research is needed on Doppler ultrasound before its clinical use. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. Parental overprotection and heart-focused anxiety in adults with congenital heart disease.

    PubMed

    Ong, Lephuong; Nolan, Robert P; Irvine, Jane; Kovacs, Adrienne H

    2011-09-01

    The care of adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) is challenging from a mental health perspective, as these patients continue to face a variety of biopsychosocial issues that may impact emotional functioning. Despite these issues, there are limited data on the psychosocial functioning of adults with CHD, and there are no data on the impact of parental overprotection on heart-focused anxiety in this patient population. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between patient recollections of parental overprotection and current heart-focused anxiety in adults with CHD. A cross-sectional sample of 190 adult patients with CHD (51% male; mean age = 32.28, SD = 11.86 years) completed validated measures of perceived parental overprotection (Parental Bonding Instrument) and heart-focused anxiety (Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire). The results indicated that perceived parental overprotection (β = 0.19, p = 0.02) and heart defect complexity (β = 0.17, p = 0.03) were significantly related to heart-focused anxiety. Contrary to hypotheses, perceived parental overprotection did not vary as a function of heart defect complexity (F (2, 169) = 0.02, p = 0.98). Perceived parental overprotection and heart defect complexity are associated with heart-focused anxiety in adults with congenital heart disease. These results can inform the development of clinical interventions aimed at improving the psychosocial adjustment of this patient population.

  14. Predicting survival in heart failure case and control subjects by use of fully automated methods for deriving nonlinear and conventional indices of heart rate dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ho, K. K.; Moody, G. B.; Peng, C. K.; Mietus, J. E.; Larson, M. G.; Levy, D.; Goldberger, A. L.

    1997-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Despite much recent interest in quantification of heart rate variability (HRV), the prognostic value of conventional measures of HRV and of newer indices based on nonlinear dynamics is not universally accepted. METHODS AND RESULTS: We have designed algorithms for analyzing ambulatory ECG recordings and measuring HRV without human intervention, using robust methods for obtaining time-domain measures (mean and SD of heart rate), frequency-domain measures (power in the bands of 0.001 to 0.01 Hz [VLF], 0.01 to 0.15 Hz [LF], and 0.15 to 0.5 Hz [HF] and total spectral power [TP] over all three of these bands), and measures based on nonlinear dynamics (approximate entropy [ApEn], a measure of complexity, and detrended fluctuation analysis [DFA], a measure of long-term correlations). The study population consisted of chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) case patients and sex- and age-matched control subjects in the Framingham Heart Study. After exclusion of technically inadequate studies and those with atrial fibrillation, we used these algorithms to study HRV in 2-hour ambulatory ECG recordings of 69 participants (mean age, 71.7+/-8.1 years). By use of separate Cox proportional-hazards models, the conventional measures SD (P<.01), LF (P<.01), VLF (P<.05), and TP (P<.01) and the nonlinear measure DFA (P<.05) were predictors of survival over a mean follow-up period of 1.9 years; other measures, including ApEn (P>.3), were not. In multivariable models, DFA was of borderline predictive significance (P=.06) after adjustment for the diagnosis of CHF and SD. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that HRV analysis of ambulatory ECG recordings based on fully automated methods can have prognostic value in a population-based study and that nonlinear HRV indices may contribute prognostic value to complement traditional HRV measures.

  15. Neurocognitive and executive functioning in adult survivors of congenital heart disease.

    PubMed

    Klouda, Leda; Franklin, Wayne J; Saraf, Anita; Parekh, Dhaval R; Schwartz, David D

    2017-01-01

    Congenital heart disease (CHD) can affect the developing central nervous system, resulting in neurocognitive and behavioral deficits. Preoperative neurological abnormalities as well as sequelae of the open heart operations required to correct structural abnormalities of the heart contribute to these deficits. There are few studies examining the neurocognitive functioning of adults with CHD. This study sought to investigate multiple domains of neurocognitive functioning in adult survivors of CHD who had childhood cardiac surgery with either moderate or severe disease complexity. A total of 48 adults (18-49 years of age) who had undergone cardiac surgery for CHD prior to five years of age participated in the study. CHD severity was classified as moderate or severe according to the 32nd Bethesda Guidelines. A computerized battery of standardized neurocognitive tests (CNS-Vital Signs), a validated rating scale of executive functioning, and demographic questionnaires were administered. There were no significant differences between the moderate CHD group and normative data on any cognitive measure. In contrast, the severe CHD group differed from norms in multiple domains: psychomotor speed, processing speed, complex attention, reaction time, and on the overall neurocognitive index. Number of surgeries was strongly related to worse executive functioning. There was no association between age at first surgery or time since last surgery and neuropsychological functioning. Number of surgeries was also unrelated to neurocognitive test performance. Patients with severe CHD performed significantly worse on measures of processing speed, attention, and executive functioning. These findings may be useful in the long-term care of adults with congenital heart disease. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Heart rate changes during electroconvulsive therapy

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background This observational study documented heart rate over the entire course of electrically induced seizures and aimed to evaluate the effects of stimulus electrode placement, patients' age, stimulus dose, and additional predictors. Method In 119 consecutive patients with 64 right unilateral (RUL) and 55 bifrontal (BF) electroconvulsive treatments, heart rate graphs based on beat-to-beat measurements were plotted up to durations of 130 s. Results In RUL stimulation, the initial drop in heart rate lasted for 12.5 ± 2.6 s (mean ± standard deviation). This depended on stimulus train duration, age, and baseline heart rate. In seizures induced with BF electrode placement, a sympathetic response was observed within the first few seconds of the stimulation phase (median 3.5 s). This was also the case with subconvulsive stimulations. The mean peak heart rate in all 119 treatments amounted to 135 ± 20 bpm and depended on baseline heart rate and seizure duration; electrode placement, charge dose, and age were insignificant in regression analysis. A marked decline in heart rate in connection with seizure cessation occurred in 71% of treatments. Conclusions A significant independent effect of stimulus electrode positioning on cardiac action was evident only in the initial phase of the seizures. Electrical stimulation rather than the seizure causes the initial heart rate increase in BF treatments. The data reveal no rationale for setting the stimulus doses as a function of intraictal peak heart rates (‘benchmark method’). The marked decline in heart rate at the end of most seizures is probably mediated by a baroreceptor reflex. PMID:23764036

  17. Heart Rate and Oxygen Saturation Change Patterns During 6-min Walk Test in Subjects With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

    PubMed

    Inagaki, Takeshi; Terada, Jiro; Yahaba, Misuzu; Kawata, Naoko; Jujo, Takayuki; Nagashima, Kengo; Sakao, Seiichiro; Tanabe, Nobuhiro; Tatsumi, Koichiro

    2018-05-01

    The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is commonly performed to assess functional status in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. However, changes in heart rate and oxygen saturation (S pO 2 ) patterns during 6MWT in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension remain unclear. Thirty-one subjects with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension were retrospectively evaluated to examine the relationships between the change in heart rate (Δheart rate), heart rate acceleration time, slope of heart rate acceleration, heart rate recovery during the first minute after 6MWT (HRR1), change in S pO 2 (ΔS pO 2 ), S pO 2 reduction time, and S pO 2 recovery time during 6MWT, and the severity of pulmonary hemodynamics assessed by right heart catheterization and echocardiography. Subjects with severe chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension had significantly longer heart rate acceleration time (144.9 ± 63.9 s vs 96.0 ± 42.5 s, P = .033), lower Δheart rate (47.4 ± 16.9 vs 61.8 ± 13.6 beats, P = .02), and lower HRR1 (13.3 ± 9.0 beats vs 27.1 ± 9.2 beats, P < .001) compared to subjects with mild chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Subjects with severe chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension also had significantly longer S pO 2 reduction time (178.3 ± 70.3 s vs 134.3 ± 58.4 s, P = .03) and S pO 2 recovery time (107.6 ± 35.3 s vs 69.8 ± 32.7 s, P = .004) than did subjects with mild chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed only mean pulmonary arterial pressure independently was associated with heart rate acceleration time and slope of heart rate acceleration. Heart rate and S pO 2 change patterns during 6MWT are predominantly associated with pulmonary hemodynamics in subjects with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Evaluating heart rate and S pO 2 change patterns during 6MWT may serve as a safe and convenient way to follow the change in pulmonary hemodynamics. Copyright © 2018 by Daedalus Enterprises.

  18. Heart Disease Death Rates Among Blacks and Whites Aged ≥35 Years - United States, 1968-2015.

    PubMed

    Van Dyke, Miriam; Greer, Sophia; Odom, Erika; Schieb, Linda; Vaughan, Adam; Kramer, Michael; Casper, Michele

    2018-03-30

    Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In 2015, heart disease accounted for approximately 630,000 deaths, representing one in four deaths in the United States. Although heart disease death rates decreased 68% for the total population from 1968 to 2015, marked disparities in decreases exist by race and state. 1968-2015. The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data on deaths in the United States were abstracted for heart disease using diagnosis codes from the eighth, ninth, and tenth revisions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-8, ICD-9, and ICD-10) for 1968-2015. Population estimates were obtained from NVSS files. National and state-specific heart disease death rates for the total population and by race for adults aged ≥35 years were calculated for 1968-2015. National and state-specific black-white heart disease mortality ratios also were calculated. Death rates were age standardized to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Joinpoint regression was used to perform time trend analyses. From 1968 to 2015, heart disease death rates decreased for the total U.S. population among adults aged ≥35 years, from 1,034.5 to 327.2 per 100,000 population, respectively, with variations in the magnitude of decreases by race and state. Rates decreased for the total population an average of 2.4% per year, with greater average decreases among whites (2.4% per year) than blacks (2.2% per year). At the national level, heart disease death rates for blacks and whites were similar at the start of the study period (1968) but began to diverge in the late 1970s, when rates for blacks plateaued while rates for whites continued to decrease. Heart disease death rates among blacks remained higher than among whites for the remainder of the study period. Nationwide, the black-white ratio of heart disease death rates increased from 1.04 in 1968 to 1.21 in 2015, with large increases occurring during the 1970s and 1980s followed by small but steady increases until approximately 2005. Since 2005, modest decreases have occurred in the black-white ratio of heart disease death rates at the national level. The majority of states had increases in black-white mortality ratios from 1968 to 2015. The number of states with black-white mortality ratios >1 increased from 16 (40%) to 27 (67.5%). Although heart disease death rates decreased both for blacks and whites from 1968 to 2015, substantial differences in decreases were found by race and state. At the national level and in most states, blacks experienced smaller decreases in heart disease death rates than whites for the majority of the period. Overall, the black-white disparity in heart disease death rates increased from 1968 to 2005, with a modest decrease from 2005 to 2015. Since 1968, substantial increases have occurred in black-white disparities of heart disease death rates in the United States at the national level and in many states. These increases appear to be due to faster decreases in heart disease death rates for whites than blacks, particularly from the late 1970s until the mid-2000s. Despite modest decreases in black-white disparities at the national level since 2005, in 2015, heart disease death rates were 21% higher among blacks than among whites. This study demonstrates the use of NVSS data to conduct surveillance of heart disease death rates by race and of black-white disparities in heart disease death rates. Continued surveillance of temporal trends in heart disease death rates by race can provide valuable information to policy makers and public health practitioners working to reduce heart disease death rates both for blacks and whites and disparities between blacks and whites.

  19. Heart Disease Death Rates Among Blacks and Whites Aged ≥35 Years — United States, 1968–2015

    PubMed Central

    Van Dyke, Miriam; Greer, Sophia; Odom, Erika; Schieb, Linda; Vaughan, Adam; Kramer, Michael; Casper, Michele

    2018-01-01

    Problem/Condition Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In 2015, heart disease accounted for approximately 630,000 deaths, representing one in four deaths in the United States. Although heart disease death rates decreased 68% for the total population from 1968 to 2015, marked disparities in decreases exist by race and state. Period Covered 1968–2015. Description of System The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data on deaths in the United States were abstracted for heart disease using diagnosis codes from the eighth, ninth, and tenth revisions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-8, ICD-9, and ICD-10) for 1968–2015. Population estimates were obtained from NVSS files. National and state-specific heart disease death rates for the total population and by race for adults aged ≥35 years were calculated for 1968–2015. National and state-specific black-white heart disease mortality ratios also were calculated. Death rates were age standardized to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Joinpoint regression was used to perform time trend analyses. Results From 1968 to 2015, heart disease death rates decreased for the total U.S. population among adults aged ≥35 years, from 1,034.5 to 327.2 per 100,000 population, respectively, with variations in the magnitude of decreases by race and state. Rates decreased for the total population an average of 2.4% per year, with greater average decreases among whites (2.4% per year) than blacks (2.2% per year). At the national level, heart disease death rates for blacks and whites were similar at the start of the study period (1968) but began to diverge in the late 1970s, when rates for blacks plateaued while rates for whites continued to decrease. Heart disease death rates among blacks remained higher than among whites for the remainder of the study period. Nationwide, the black-white ratio of heart disease death rates increased from 1.04 in 1968 to 1.21 in 2015, with large increases occurring during the 1970s and 1980s followed by small but steady increases until approximately 2005. Since 2005, modest decreases have occurred in the black-white ratio of heart disease death rates at the national level. The majority of states had increases in black-white mortality ratios from 1968 to 2015. The number of states with black-white mortality ratios >1 increased from 16 (40%) to 27 (67.5%). Interpretation Although heart disease death rates decreased both for blacks and whites from 1968 to 2015, substantial differences in decreases were found by race and state. At the national level and in most states, blacks experienced smaller decreases in heart disease death rates than whites for the majority of the period. Overall, the black-white disparity in heart disease death rates increased from 1968 to 2005, with a modest decrease from 2005 to 2015. Public Health Action Since 1968, substantial increases have occurred in black-white disparities of heart disease death rates in the United States at the national level and in many states. These increases appear to be due to faster decreases in heart disease death rates for whites than blacks, particularly from the late 1970s until the mid-2000s. Despite modest decreases in black-white disparities at the national level since 2005, in 2015, heart disease death rates were 21% higher among blacks than among whites. This study demonstrates the use of NVSS data to conduct surveillance of heart disease death rates by race and of black-white disparities in heart disease death rates. Continued surveillance of temporal trends in heart disease death rates by race can provide valuable information to policy makers and public health practitioners working to reduce heart disease death rates both for blacks and whites and disparities between blacks and whites. PMID:29596406

  20. Role of ivabradine and heart rate lowering in chronic heart failure: guideline update.

    PubMed

    Chow, Sheryl L; Page, Robert Lee; Depre, Christophe

    2018-06-14

    This review summarizes the current management of heart failure (HF) in patients with reduced ejection fraction and the potential role of heart rate lowering agents in select populations, as recommended in the updated guidelines. Areas covered: PubMed was searched for studies that evaluated the role of heart rate lowering or ivabradine in HF management. Expert commentary: Targeting heart rate may offer benefit when added to renin-angiotensin aldosterone antagonists, and beta-blockers. Ivabradine is a heart rate lowering agent that acts on the funny current (I f ) in the sinoatrial node, thereby reducing heart rate without directly affecting cardiac contraction and relaxation. Clinical data from a phase 3 trial demonstrated that ivabradine reduced the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospital admission for worsening systolic HF, while maintaining an acceptable safety profile in patients receiving standard of care therapy. These data, in addition to more recently published guidelines, suggest ivabradine as a promising new treatment option for lowering heart rate after optimizing standard therapy in select patients with chronic HF.

  1. Heart rate variability in the standing position reflects training adaptation in professional soccer players.

    PubMed

    Ravé, Guillaume; Fortrat, Jacques-Olivier

    2016-08-01

    To show that heart rate variability (HRV) in the standing position better reflects the way in which athletes adapt to training in so-called intermittent sports than the indicator of resting parasympathetic tone usually employed in endurance sports. Twenty professional soccer players (intermittent sport) took part in a 5-week training session divided into three successive periods: "Warm-up", "Intensive training" and "Tapering". At the beginning and end of each of the three periods, a stand test was carried out and the heart rate was recorded, beat by beat (Polar Team 2). We analysed HRV to determine the indicator mostly used to demonstrate training adaptation in endurance sports (lnRMSSD supine, natural logarithm of root mean square of the successive differences) as well as indicators obtained by means of spectral analysis in both supine and standing position. A decrease in heart rate was observed in the supine position at rest during training (-5.2 ± 1.3 bpm) while lnRMSSD and spectral analysis indicators remained unchanged. The "Warm-up" caused an increase in spectral analysis total power in standing position which was further highlighted by "Tapering" (3.39 ± 0.09, 3.61 ± 0.08 and 3.65 ± 0.09 log ms(2), respectively). However, the autonomic changes are probably more complex than a change in autonomic activity or balance since spectral analysis autonomic indicators remained unchanged. HRV in the standing position could monitor training adaptation in intermittent sports contrary to the indicator usually employed in endurance sports. However, the significance of the HRV change in the standing position during training remains unclear.

  2. Reducing blood testing in pediatric patients after heart surgery: a quality improvement project.

    PubMed

    Delgado-Corcoran, Claudia; Bodily, Stephanie; Frank, Deborah U; Witte, Madolin K; Castillo, Ramon; Bratton, Susan L

    2014-10-01

    To safely optimize blood testing and costs for pediatric cardiac surgical patients without adversely impacting patient outcomes. This is a quality improvement cohort project with pre- and postintervention groups. University-affiliated pediatric cardiac ICU in a tertiary care children's hospital. All patients were surgical patients for whom Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery categories allowed for stratification by complexity. The preintervention group was treated in 2010 and the postintervention group in 2011. Laboratory ordering processes were analyzed, and practice changed to limit standing blood test orders and requires individualized ordering. Three hundred nineteen patients were studied in 2010 and 345 in 2011. Groups were similar in median age, weight, length of stay (ICU length of stay), and Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery category. There was a reduction in the total blood tests per patient (24 vs 38; p < 0.0001) and length of stay adjusted tests per patient-day (10.4 vs 14.4; p = 0.0001) in the postintervention group. The largest test reductions were blood gases and single electrolytes. Adverse outcomes, such as extubation failure (6.4% vs 5.6%), central catheter-associated bloodstream infection (2.2 vs 1.5), and hospital mortality (0.6% vs 0.6%), were not significantly different between the groups. Cost analysis demonstrated an overall laboratory cost savings of 32%. In addition, the volume of packed RBC transfusions was also significantly decreased in the postintervention group among the most complex patients (Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery, 6). Blood testing rates were safely decreased in postoperative pediatric cardiac patients by changing laboratory ordering practices. In addition, packed RBC transfusion was decreased among the most complex patients.

  3. Towards development of a mobile RF Doppler sensor for continuous heart rate variability and blood pressure monitoring.

    PubMed

    Insoo Kim; Bhagat, Yusuf A

    2016-08-01

    The standard in noninvasive blood pressure (BP) measurement is an inflatable cuff device based on the oscillometric method, which poses several practical challenges for continuous BP monitoring. Here, we present a novel ultra-wide band RF Doppler radar sensor for next-generation mobile interface for the purpose of characterizing fluid flow speeds, and for ultimately measuring cuffless blood flow in the human wrist. The system takes advantage of the 7.1~10.5 GHz ultra-wide band signals which can reduce transceiver complexity and power consumption overhead. Moreover, results obtained from hardware development, antenna design and human wrist modeling, and subsequent phantom development are reported. Our comprehensive lab bench system setup with a peristaltic pump was capable of characterizing various speed flow components during a linear velocity sweep of 5~62 cm/s. The sensor holds potential for providing estimates of heart rate and blood pressure.

  4. Telefetalcare: a first prototype of a wearable fetal electrocardiograph.

    PubMed

    Fanelli, A; Signorini, M G; Ferrario, M; Perego, P; Piccini, L; Andreoni, G; Magenes, G

    2011-01-01

    Fetal heart rate monitoring is fundamental to infer information about fetal health state during pregnancy. The cardiotocography (CTG) is the most common antepartum monitoring technique. Abdominal ECG recording represents the most valuable alternative to cardiotocography, as it allows passive, non invasive and long term fetal monitoring. Unluckily fetal ECG has low SNR and needs to be extracted from abdominal recordings using ad hoc algorithms. This work describes a prototype of a wearable fetal ECG electrocardiograph. The system has flat band frequency response between 1-60 Hz and guarantees good signal quality. It was tested on pregnant women between the 30(th) and 34(th) gestational week. Several electrodes configurations were tested, in order to identify the best solution. Implementation of a simple algorithm for FECG extraction permitted the reliable detection of maternal and fetal QRS complexes. The system will allow continuative and deep screening of fetal heart rate, introducing the possibility of home fetal monitoring.

  5. Heart rate-induced modifications of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy: exploration of a novel therapeutic concept.

    PubMed

    Klein, Franziska J; Bell, Stephen; Runte, K Elisabeth; Lobel, Robert; Ashikaga, Takamuru; Lerman, Lilach O; LeWinter, Martin M; Meyer, Markus

    2016-10-01

    Lowering the heart rate is considered to be beneficial in heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). In a dilated left ventricle (LV), pharmacological heart rate lowering is associated with a reduction in LV chamber size. In patients with HFrEF, this structural change is associated with better survival. HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasingly prevalent but, so far, without any evidence-based treatment. HFpEF is typically associated with LV concentric remodeling and hypertrophy. The effects of heart rate on this structural phenotype are not known. Analogous with the benefits of a low heart rate on a dilated heart, we hypothesized that increased heart rates could lead to potentially beneficial remodeling of a concentrically hypertrophied LV. This was explored in an established porcine model of concentric LV hypertrophy and fibrosis. Our results suggest that a moderate increase in heart rate can be used to reduce wall thickness, normalize LV chamber volumes, decrease myocardial fibrosis, and improve LV compliance. Our results also indicate that the effects of heart rate can be titrated, are reversible, and do not induce HF. These findings may provide the rationale for a novel therapeutic approach for HFpEF and its antecedent disease substrate. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  6. Can complexity decrease in congestive heart failure?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mukherjee, Sayan; Palit, Sanjay Kumar; Banerjee, Santo; Ariffin, M. R. K.; Rondoni, Lamberto; Bhattacharya, D. K.

    2015-12-01

    The complexity of a signal can be measured by the Recurrence period density entropy (RPDE) from the reconstructed phase space. We have chosen a window based RPDE method for the classification of signals, as RPDE is an average entropic measure of the whole phase space. We have observed the changes in the complexity in cardiac signals of normal healthy person (NHP) and congestive heart failure patients (CHFP). The results show that the cardiac dynamics of a healthy subject is more complex and random compare to the same for a heart failure patient, whose dynamics is more deterministic. We have constructed a general threshold to distinguish the border line between a healthy and a congestive heart failure dynamics. The results may be useful for wide range for physiological and biomedical analysis.

  7. [The influence of individually fitted controlled breathing frequency on the heart rate variability indexes].

    PubMed

    Chuian, O M; Biriukova, O O; Ravaieva, M Iu

    2010-01-01

    We studied the changes in indexes of variability of heart rate and fractal neurodynamics under conditions of controlled breathing on fluctuation frequency of a spectrum of heart rate. It is shown that the controlled breathing, which frequency corresponds to a frequency of localization of the maximum peak of capacity ofa heart rate in low-frequency is a powerful mechanism of management of heart rate and change of a functional condition of an organism as a whole.

  8. Resting Heart Rate as Predictor for Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Heart Failure: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

    PubMed Central

    Opdahl, Anders; Venkatesh, Bharath Ambale; Fernandes, Veronica R. S.; Wu, Colin O.; Nasir, Khurram; Choi, Eui-Young; Almeida, Andre L. C.; Rosen, Boaz; Carvalho, Benilton; Edvardsen, Thor; Bluemke, David A.; Lima, Joao A. C.

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between baseline resting heart rate and incidence of heart failure (HF) and global and regional left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. BACKGROUND The association of resting heart rate to HF and LV function is not well described in an asymptomatic multi-ethnic population. METHODS Participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis had resting heart rate measured at inclusion. Incident HF was registered (n=176) during follow-up (median 7 years) in those who underwent cardiac MRI (n=5000). Changes in ejection fraction (ΔEF) and peak circumferential strain (Δεcc) were measured as markers of developing global and regional LV dysfunction in 1056 participants imaged at baseline and 5 years later. Time to HF (Cox model) and Δεcc and ΔEF (multiple linear regression models) were adjusted for demographics, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, calcium score, LV end-diastolic volume and mass in addition to resting heart rate. RESULTS Cox analysis demonstrated that for 1 bpm increase in resting heart rate there was a 4% greater adjusted relative risk for incident HF (Hazard Ratio: 1.04 (1.02, 1.06 (95% CI); P<0.001). Adjusted multiple regression models demonstrated that resting heart rate was positively associated with deteriorating εcc and decrease in EF, even in analyses when all coronary heart disease events were excluded from the model. CONCLUSION Elevated resting heart rate is associated with increased risk for incident HF in asymptomatic participants in MESA. Higher heart rate is related to development of regional and global LV dysfunction independent of subclinical atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. PMID:24412444

  9. Causes of death in a contemporary adult congenital heart disease cohort.

    PubMed

    Yu, Christopher; Moore, Benjamin M; Kotchetkova, Irina; Cordina, Rachael L; Celermajer, David S

    2018-04-17

    The life expectancy of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) has significantly improved with advances in their paediatric medical care. Mortality patterns are changing as a result. Our study aims to describe survival and causes of death in a contemporary cohort of adult patients with CHD. We reviewed 3068 patients in our adult CHD database (age ≥16 years, seen at least once in our centre between 2000 and 2015), and documented the number and causes of death, via Australia's National Death Index. Survival and mortality patterns were analysed by complexity of CHD and by underlying congenital diagnosis. Our cohort comprised 3068 adult patients (53% male). The distribution of patients (per the Bethesda classification) was 47% simple, 34% moderate and 18% complex (1% not classifiable). Over a median follow-up of 6.2 years (IQR 3.5-10.4), 341 patients (11%) died with an incidence of 0.4 deaths/100 patient years (py). Survival was significantly worse with increasing complexity of CHD (p<0.001); mortality rate in the simple group was 0.3 deaths/100 py with a median age of death 70 years, and in the complex group was 1.0 death/100 py with a median age of death 34 years. Overall, non-cardiac causes of death outnumbered cardiac causes, at 54% and 46%, respectively. The leading single cause of death was heart failure (17%), followed by malignancy (13%). Simple adult CHD patients mostly died due to non-cardiac causes such as malignancy. Perioperative mortality only accounted for 5% of deaths. Premature death is common in adults with CHD. Although heart failure remains the most common cause of death, in the contemporary era in a specialist CHD centre, non-cardiac related deaths outnumber cardiac deaths, particularly in those with simple CHD lesions. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  10. Effect of heart rate on the hemodynamics of bileaflet mechanical heart valves' prostheses (St. Jude Medical) in the aortic position and in the opening phase: A computational study.

    PubMed

    Jahandardoost, Mehdi; Fradet, Guy; Mohammadi, Hadi

    2016-03-01

    To date, to the best of the authors' knowledge, in almost all of the studies performed around the hemodynamics of bileaflet mechanical heart valves, a heart rate of 70-72 beats/min has been considered. In fact, the heart rate of ~72 beats/min does not represent the entire normal physiological conditions under which the aortic or prosthetic valves function. The heart rates of 120 or 50 beats/min may lead to hemodynamic complications, such as plaque formation and/or thromboembolism in patients. In this study, the hemodynamic performance of the bileaflet mechanical heart valves in a wide range of normal and physiological heart rates, that is, 60-150 beats/min, was studied in the opening phase. The model considered in this study was a St. Jude Medical bileaflet mechanical heart valve with the inner diameter of 27 mm in the aortic position. The hemodynamics of the native valve and the St. Jude Medical valve were studied in a variety of heart rates in the opening phase and the results were carefully compared. The results indicate that peak values of the velocity profile downstream of the valve increase as heart rate increases, as well as the location of the maximum velocity changes with heart rate in the St. Jude Medical valve model. Also, the maximum values of shear stress and wall shear stresses downstream of the valve are proportional to heart rate in both models. Interestingly, the maximum shear stress and wall shear stress values in both models are in the same range when heart rate is <90 beats/min; however, these values significantly increase in the St. Jude Medical valve model when heart rate is >90 beats/min (up to ~40% growth compared to that of the native valve). The findings of this study may be of importance in the hemodynamic performance of bileaflet mechanical heart valves. They may also play an important role in design improvement of conventional prosthetic heart valves and the design of the next generation of prosthetic valves, such as percutaneous valves. © IMechE 2016.

  11. Cardiac-resynchronization therapy for mild-to-moderate heart failure.

    PubMed

    Tang, Anthony S L; Wells, George A; Talajic, Mario; Arnold, Malcolm O; Sheldon, Robert; Connolly, Stuart; Hohnloser, Stefan H; Nichol, Graham; Birnie, David H; Sapp, John L; Yee, Raymond; Healey, Jeffrey S; Rouleau, Jean L

    2010-12-16

    Cardiac-resynchronization therapy (CRT) benefits patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and a wide QRS complex. Most of these patients are candidates for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). We evaluated whether adding CRT to an ICD and optimal medical therapy might reduce mortality and morbidity among such patients. We randomly assigned patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III heart failure, a left ventricular ejection fraction of 30% or less, and an intrinsic QRS duration of 120 msec or more or a paced QRS duration of 200 msec or more to receive either an ICD alone or an ICD plus CRT. The primary outcome was death from any cause or hospitalization for heart failure. We followed 1798 patients for a mean of 40 months. The primary outcome occurred in 297 of 894 patients (33.2%) in the ICD-CRT group and 364 of 904 patients (40.3%) in the ICD group (hazard ratio in the ICD-CRT group, 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.87; P<0.001). In the ICD-CRT group, 186 patients died, as compared with 236 in the ICD group (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.91; P = 0.003), and 174 patients were hospitalized for heart failure, as compared with 236 in the ICD group (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.83; P<0.001). However, at 30 days after device implantation, adverse events had occurred in 124 patients in the ICD-CRT group, as compared with 58 in the ICD group (P<0.001). Among patients with NYHA class II or III heart failure, a wide QRS complex, and left ventricular systolic dysfunction, the addition of CRT to an ICD reduced rates of death and hospitalization for heart failure. This improvement was accompanied by more adverse events. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Medtronic of Canada; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00251251.).

  12. Heart rate as an independent risk factor in patients with multiple organ dysfunction: a prospective, observational study.

    PubMed

    Hoke, Robert S; Müller-Werdan, Ursula; Lautenschläger, Christine; Werdan, Karl; Ebelt, Henning

    2012-02-01

    To study the association between baseline heart rate and outcome in patients with multiple organ dysfunction (MODS) as well as the course of heart rate over the first 4 days during MODS. Prospective observational study in 89 patients with MODS, defined as an APACHE-II score ≥20. Baseline heart rate (HR(0)) was determined over a 60-minute period at the time of MODS diagnosis. 28-day all-cause mortality was the primary endpoint of the study, a fall of the APACHE-II score by 4 points or more from day 0 to day 4 constituted the secondary endpoint. Hazard ratios for heart rate of 90 beats per minute (bpm) or greater relative to less than 90 bpm were calculated using Cox proportional hazards model and adjusted for confounding variables. Median baseline heart rate was 83 bpm in survivors and 92 bpm in non-survivors (p = 0.048). 28-day mortality was 32 and 61% in patients with HR(0) < 90 bpm and HR(0) ≥ 90 bpm, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio for 28-day mortality was 2.30 (95% confidence interval 1.21-4.36, p = 0.001) for HR(0) ≥ 90 bpm relative to HR(0) < 90 bpm. No correlation was found between baseline heart rate and the secondary endpoint. From day 0 to day 4, heart rate remained elevated in all patients, as well as in survivors and non-survivors. A heart rate ≥90 bpm at the time of MODS diagnosis is an independent risk factor for increased 28-day mortality. As in patients with cardiovascular conditions such as coronary heart disease or chronic heart failure, heart rate might constitute a target for heart rate-lowering therapy in the narrow initial treatment window of MODS.

  13. Selective Inhibition of Deactivated Mitochondrial Complex I by Biguanides †

    PubMed Central

    Matsuzaki, Satoshi; Humphries, Kenneth M.

    2015-01-01

    Biguanides are widely used antihyperglycemic agents for diabetes mellitus and prediabetes treatment. Complex I is the rate limiting step of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), a major source of mitochondrial free radical production, and a known target of biguanides. Complex I has two reversible conformational states, active and de-active. The deactivated state is promoted in the absence of substrates, but is rapidly and fully reversed to the active state in the presence of NADH. The objective of this study was to determine the relative sensitivity of active/de-active complex I to biguanide-mediated inhibition and resulting superoxide radical (O2•−) production. Using isolated rat heart mitochondria, we show that deactivation of complex I sensitizes it to metformin and phenformin (4- and 3-fold, respectively), but not to other known complex I inhibitors, such as rotenone. Mitochondrial O2•− production by deactivated complex I was measured fluorescently by the NADH-dependent 2-hydroxyethidium formation at alkaline pH to impede reactivation. Superoxide production was 260.4% higher than in active complex I at pH 9.4. However, phenformin treatment of de-active complex I decreased O2•− production by 14.9% while rotenone increased production by 42.9%. Mitochondria isolated from rat hearts subjected to cardiac ischemia, a condition known to induce complex I deactivation, were sensitized to phenformin:mediated complex I inhibition. This supports that the effects of biguanides are likely to be influenced by the complex I state in vivo. These results demonstrate that the complex I active/de-active states are a determinant in biguanide-mediated inhibition. PMID:25719498

  14. Association of heart rate at hospital discharge with mortality and hospitalizations in patients with heart failure.

    PubMed

    Habal, Marlena V; Liu, Peter P; Austin, Peter C; Ross, Heather J; Newton, Gary E; Wang, Xuesong; Tu, Jack V; Lee, Douglas S

    2014-01-01

    Heart failure (HF) is associated with a high burden of morbidity and mortality. Hospital discharge is an opportunity for identification of modifiable prognostic factors in the transition to chronic HF. We examined the association of discharge heart rate with 30-day and 1-year mortality and hospitalization outcomes in a cohort of 9097 patients with HF discharged from hospital. Discharge heart rate was categorized into predefined groups: 40 to 60 (n=1333), 61 to 70 (n=2170), 71 to 80 (n=2631), 81 to 90 (n=1700), and >90 bpm (n=1263). There was a significant increase in all-cause 30-day mortality with adjusted odds ratios of 1.59 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-2.14; P=0.003) for discharge heart rates 81 to 90 bpm and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.13-2.16; P=0.007) for heart rates>90 bpm when compared with the reference group (heart rates, 61-70 bpm). Cardiovascular death risk at 30 days was also higher with adjusted odds ratio 1.59 (discharge heart rates, 81-90 bpm; 95% CI, 1.09-2.33; P=0.017) and 1.65 (discharge heart rates, >90 bpm; 95% CI, 1.09-2.48; P=0.017). One-year all-cause mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.16-1.72; P<0.001) and cardiovascular death (adjusted odds ratio, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.12-1.92; P=0.005) were higher with discharge heart rates>90 bpm when compared with the reference group (heart rates, 40-60 bpm). Readmissions for HF (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.04-1.54; P=0.021) and cardiovascular disease (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.08-1.54; P=0.004) within 30 days were also higher with discharge heart rates>90 bpm. Higher discharge heart rates were associated with greater risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality≤1-year follow-up and an elevated risk of 30-day readmission for HF and cardiovascular disease.

  15. Atypical Reactivity of Heart Rate Variability to Stress and Depression: Systematic Review of the Literature and Directions for Future Research

    PubMed Central

    Hamilton, Jessica L.; Alloy, Lauren B.

    2017-01-01

    Heart rate variability has received growing attention in the depression literature, with several recent meta-analyses indicating that lower resting heart rate variability is associated with depression. However, the role of fluctuations in heart rate variability (or reactivity) in response to stress in depression remains less clear. The present review provides a systematic examination of the literature on heart rate variability reactivity to a laboratory-induced stressor task and depression, including 26 studies of reactivity in heart rate variability and clinical depression, remitted (or history of) depression, and subthreshold depression (or symptom-level depression) among adults, adolescents, and children. In addition to reviewing the findings of these studies, methodological considerations and conceptual gaps in the literature are addressed. We conclude by highlighting the importance of investigating the potential transactional relationship between heart rate variability reactivity and depression and possible mechanisms underlying this relationship. PMID:27697746

  16. Heart rate differentiates urgency and emergency in hypertensive crisis.

    PubMed

    Al Bannay, Rashed; Böhm, Michael; Husain, Aysha

    2013-08-01

    To study the clinical significance of presenting blood pressure parameters and heart rate in patients with hypertensive crisis. In patients admitted with hypertensive crisis between January 2011 and May 2011, demography, mode of presentation, co-morbidities, blood pressure readings, and heart rate at presentation were documented. Further clustering of hypertensive crisis into emergency or urgency was based on the presence or absence of target organ involvement. The relationship between blood pressure parameters, heart rate, and other variables was analyzed. 189 patients in sinus rhythm were enrolled in this pilot study. The rate of hypertensive urgency was 56 %, whereas the rate of hypertensive emergency was 44 %, respectively. Subjects with hypertensive emergency had a higher mean heart rate (93 ± 22.7 bpm) than those with urgency (81 ± 11.5 bpm) (P = 0.015). Women had higher heart rates (92 ± 18.5 bpm) than men (86 ± 17.6 bpm) (P = 0.014). Heart rates below 100 bpm had a specificity of 94 %, classifying patients as hypertensive urgency. Tachycardia had a powerful statistical association with hypertensive left ventricular failure (P < 0.0001). Other hemodynamic parameters, including systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and mean blood pressure relates neither to urgency nor to emergency. Diabetic patients with HBA1c levels of more than 53 mmol/mol had a heart rate of more than 100 bpm (P = 0.015) during hypertensive crisis. Normal heart rate is characteristic of hypertensive urgency. Tachycardia in this setting is an ominous sign and denotes hypertensive complications in particular left ventricular failure. Among diabetics, elevated heart rate is associated with poor glycemic control.

  17. Xenopus: An Emerging Model for Studying Congenital Heart Disease

    PubMed Central

    Kaltenbrun, Erin; Tandon, Panna; Amin, Nirav M.; Waldron, Lauren; Showell, Chris; Conlon, Frank L.

    2011-01-01

    Congenital heart defects affect nearly 1% of all newborns and are a significant cause of infant death. Clinical studies have identified a number of congenital heart syndromes associated with mutations in genes that are involved in the complex process of cardiogenesis. The African clawed frog, Xenopus, has been instrumental in studies of vertebrate heart development and provides a valuable tool to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying human congenital heart diseases. In this review, we discuss the methodologies that make Xenopus an ideal model system to investigate heart development and disease. We also outline congenital heart conditions linked to cardiac genes that have been well-studied in Xenopus and describe some emerging technologies that will further aid in the study of these complex syndromes. PMID:21538812

  18. Effects of a hydrotherapy programme on symbolic and complexity dynamics of heart rate variability and aerobic capacity in fibromyalgia patients.

    PubMed

    Zamunér, Antonio Roberto; Andrade, Carolina P; Forti, Meire; Marchi, Andrea; Milan, Juliana; Avila, Mariana Arias; Catai, Aparecida Maria; Porta, Alberto; Silva, Ester

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the effects of a hydrotherapy programme on aerobic capacity and linear and non-linear dynamics of heart rate variability (HRV) in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). 20 women with FMS and 20 healthy controls (HC) took part in the study. The FMS group was evaluated at baseline and after a 16-week hydrotherapy programme. All participants underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a cycle ergometer and RR intervals recording in supine and standing positions. The HRV was analysed by linear and non-linear methods. The current level of pain, the tender points, the pressure pain threshold and the impact of FMS on quality of life were assessed. The FMS patients presented higher cardiac sympathetic modulation, lower vagal modulation and lower complexity of HRV in supine position than the HC. Only the HC decreased the complexity indices of HRV during orthostatic stimulus. After a 16-week hydrotherapy programme, the FMS patients increased aerobic capacity, decreased cardiac sympathetic modulation and increased vagal modulation and complexity dynamics of HRV in supine. The FMS patients also improved their cardiac autonomic adjustments to the orthostatic stimulus. Associations between improvements in non-linear dynamics of HRV and improvements in pain and in the impact of FMS on quality of life were found. A 16-week hydrotherapy programme proved to be effective in ameliorating symptoms, aerobic functional capacity and cardiac autonomic control in FMS patients. Improvements in the non-linear dynamics of HRV were related to improvements in pain and in the impact of FMS on quality of life.

  19. Heat transfer in a microvascular network: the effect of heart rate on heating and cooling in reptiles (Pogona barbata and Varanus varius).

    PubMed

    Seebacher, F

    2000-03-21

    Thermally-induced changes in heart rate and blood flow in reptiles are believed to be of selective advantage by allowing animal to exert some control over rates of heating and cooling. This notion has become one of the principal paradigms in reptilian thermal physiology. However, the functional significance of changes in heart rate is unclear, because the effect of heart rate and blood flow on total animal heat transfer is not known. I used heat transfer theory to determine the importance of heat transfer by blood flow relative to conduction. I validated theoretical predictions by comparing them with field data from two species of lizard, bearded dragons (Pogona barbata) and lace monitors (Varanus varius). Heart rates measured in free-ranging lizards in the field were significantly higher during heating than during cooling, and heart rates decreased with body mass. Convective heat transfer by blood flow increased with heart rate. Rates of heat transfer by both blood flow and conduction decreased with mass, but the mass scaling exponents were different. Hence, rate of conductive heat transfer decreased more rapidly with increasing mass than did heat transfer by blood flow, so that the relative importance of blood flow in total animal heat transfer increased with mass. The functional significance of changes in heart rate and, hence, rates of heat transfer, in response to heating and cooling in lizards was quantified. For example, by increasing heart rate when entering a heating environment in the morning, and decreasing heart rate when the environment cools in the evening a Pogona can spend up to 44 min longer per day with body temperature within its preferred range. It was concluded that changes in heart rate in response to heating and cooling confer a selective advantage at least on reptiles of mass similar to that of the study animals (0. 21-5.6 kg). Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  20. The effect of respiratory oscillations in heart rate on detrended fluctuation analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Govindan, Rathinaswamy B.; Kota, Srinivas; Al-Shargabi, Tareq; Swisher, Christopher B.; du Plessis, Adre

    2017-10-01

    Characterization of heart rate using detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) is impeded by respiratory oscillations. In particular, the short-term exponent measured from 15 to 30 beats is compromised in the DFA. We reconstruct respiratory signal from electrocardiograms and attenuate the respiratory oscillation in the heart rate using a frequency-dependent subtraction approach. We validate this method by applying it to an electrocardiogram signal simulated using a coupled differential equation with the respiratory oscillation modelled using a sine function. The exponent estimated using the proposed approach agreed with the exponent incorporated in the model within a narrow range. In contrast, the exponent obtained from the raw data deviated from the expected value. Furthermore, the exponents obtained for the raw heart rate are smaller than the exponents obtained for the respiration oscillation attenuated heart rate. We apply this approach to heart rate measured from 12 preterm infants that were being treated for prematurity related complications. As observed in the simulated data, we show that compared to the raw heart rate, the respiratory oscillation attenuated heart rate shows higher short-term exponent (p < 0.001).

  1. Heart-Rate and Breath-Rate Monitor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cooper, T. G.

    1983-01-01

    Circuit requiring only four integrated circuits (IC's) measures both heart rate and breath rate. Phase-locked loops lock on heart-rate and respiration-rate input signals. Each loop IC contains two phase comparators. Positive-edge-triggered circuit used in making monitors insensitive to dutycycle variations.

  2. Modulations of Heart Rate, ECG, and Cardio-Respiratory Coupling Observed in Polysomnography

    PubMed Central

    Penzel, Thomas; Kantelhardt, Jan W.; Bartsch, Ronny P.; Riedl, Maik; Kraemer, Jan F.; Wessel, Niels; Garcia, Carmen; Glos, Martin; Fietze, Ingo; Schöbel, Christoph

    2016-01-01

    The cardiac component of cardio-respiratory polysomnography is covered by ECG and heart rate recordings. However, their evaluation is often underrepresented in summarizing reports. As complements to EEG, EOG, and EMG, these signals provide diagnostic information for autonomic nervous activity during sleep. This review presents major methodological developments in sleep research regarding heart rate, ECG, and cardio-respiratory couplings in a chronological (historical) sequence. It presents physiological and pathophysiological insights related to sleep medicine obtained by new technical developments. Recorded nocturnal ECG facilitates conventional heart rate variability (HRV) analysis, studies of cyclical variations of heart rate, and analysis of ECG waveform. In healthy adults, the autonomous nervous system is regulated in totally different ways during wakefulness, slow-wave sleep, and REM sleep. Analysis of beat-to-beat heart-rate variations with statistical methods enables us to estimate sleep stages based on the differences in autonomic nervous system regulation. Furthermore, up to some degree, it is possible to track transitions from wakefulness to sleep by analysis of heart-rate variations. ECG and heart rate analysis allow assessment of selected sleep disorders as well. Sleep disordered breathing can be detected reliably by studying cyclical variation of heart rate combined with respiration-modulated changes in ECG morphology (amplitude of R wave and T wave). PMID:27826247

  3. Modulations of Heart Rate, ECG, and Cardio-Respiratory Coupling Observed in Polysomnography.

    PubMed

    Penzel, Thomas; Kantelhardt, Jan W; Bartsch, Ronny P; Riedl, Maik; Kraemer, Jan F; Wessel, Niels; Garcia, Carmen; Glos, Martin; Fietze, Ingo; Schöbel, Christoph

    2016-01-01

    The cardiac component of cardio-respiratory polysomnography is covered by ECG and heart rate recordings. However, their evaluation is often underrepresented in summarizing reports. As complements to EEG, EOG, and EMG, these signals provide diagnostic information for autonomic nervous activity during sleep. This review presents major methodological developments in sleep research regarding heart rate, ECG, and cardio-respiratory couplings in a chronological (historical) sequence. It presents physiological and pathophysiological insights related to sleep medicine obtained by new technical developments. Recorded nocturnal ECG facilitates conventional heart rate variability (HRV) analysis, studies of cyclical variations of heart rate, and analysis of ECG waveform. In healthy adults, the autonomous nervous system is regulated in totally different ways during wakefulness, slow-wave sleep, and REM sleep. Analysis of beat-to-beat heart-rate variations with statistical methods enables us to estimate sleep stages based on the differences in autonomic nervous system regulation. Furthermore, up to some degree, it is possible to track transitions from wakefulness to sleep by analysis of heart-rate variations. ECG and heart rate analysis allow assessment of selected sleep disorders as well. Sleep disordered breathing can be detected reliably by studying cyclical variation of heart rate combined with respiration-modulated changes in ECG morphology (amplitude of R wave and T wave).

  4. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia: time domain characterization using autoregressive moving average analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Triedman, J. K.; Perrott, M. H.; Cohen, R. J.; Saul, J. P.

    1995-01-01

    Fourier-based techniques are mathematically noncausal and are therefore limited in their application to feedback-containing systems, such as the cardiovascular system. In this study, a mathematically causal time domain technique, autoregressive moving average (ARMA) analysis, was used to parameterize the relations of respiration and arterial blood pressure to heart rate in eight humans before and during total cardiac autonomic blockade. Impulse-response curves thus generated showed the relation of respiration to heart rate to be characterized by an immediate increase in heart rate of 9.1 +/- 1.8 beats.min-1.l-1, followed by a transient mild decrease in heart rate to -1.2 +/- 0.5 beats.min-1.l-1 below baseline. The relation of blood pressure to heart rate was characterized by a slower decrease in heart rate of -0.5 +/- 0.1 beats.min-1.mmHg-1, followed by a gradual return to baseline. Both of these relations nearly disappeared after autonomic blockade, indicating autonomic mediation. Maximum values obtained from the respiration to heart rate impulse responses were also well correlated with frequency domain measures of high-frequency "vagal" heart rate control (r = 0.88). ARMA analysis may be useful as a time domain representation of autonomic heart rate control for cardiovascular modeling.

  5. Power spectral analysis of R-R interval variability before and during the sinusoidal heart rate pattern in fetal lambs.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, T; Okamura, K; Kimura, Y; Watanabe, T; Yaegashi, N; Murotsuki, J; Uehara, S; Yajima, A

    2000-05-01

    The appearance of the sinusoidal heart rate pattern found on fetal cardiotocograms has not been fully explained, either physiologically or clinically. In this study we performed power spectral analysis on the sinusoidal heart rate pattern obtained by administration of arginine vasopressin and atropine sulfate to investigate its frequency components in fetal lambs with long-term instrument implantation. Eleven tests were performed in 4 fetal lambs at 120 to 130 days' gestation. An artificial sinusoidal heart rate pattern was obtained by administration of atropine sulfate and arginine vasopressin in 9 tests. An autoregression model was used to compare the spectral patterns before and during the sinusoidal heart rate pattern. Marked decreases in low-frequency (0.025-0.125 cycles/beat) and high-frequency (0.2-0.5 cycles/beat) areas were observed in the presence of the sinusoidal heart rate pattern. However, there were no significant changes in the very-low-frequency area (0.01-0.025 cycles/beat), which corresponds to the frequency of the sinusoidal heart rate pattern. The sinusoidal heart rate pattern may represent a very low-frequency component inherent in fetal heart rate variability that appears when low- and high-frequency components are reduced as a result of strongly suppressed autonomic nervous activity.

  6. Maternal exercise, season and sex modify the daily fetal heart rate rhythm.

    PubMed

    Sletten, J; Cornelissen, G; Assmus, J; Kiserud, T; Albrechtsen, S; Kessler, J

    2018-05-13

    The knowledge on biological rhythms is rapidly expanding. We aimed to define the longitudinal development of the daily (24-hour) fetal heart rate rhythm in an unrestricted, out-of-hospital setting and to examine the effects of maternal physical activity, season and fetal sex. We recruited 48 women with low-risk singleton pregnancies. Using a portable monitor for continuous fetal electrocardiography, fetal heart rate recordings were obtained around gestational weeks 24, 28, 32 and 36. Daily rhythms in fetal heart rate and fetal heart rate variation were detected by cosinor analysis; developmental trends were calculated by population-mean cosinor and multilevel analysis. For the fetal heart rate and fetal heart rate variation, a significant daily rhythm was present in 122/123 (99.2%) and 116/121 (95.9%) of the individual recordings respectively. The rhythms were best described by combining cosine waves with periods of 24 and 8 hours. With increasing gestational age, the magnitude of the fetal heart rate rhythm increased, and the peak of the fetal heart rate variation rhythm shifted from a mean of 14:25 (24 weeks) to 20:52 (36 weeks). With advancing gestation, the rhythm-adjusted mean value of the fetal heart rate decreased linearly in females (P < .001) and nonlinearly in males (quadratic function, P = .001). At 32 and 36 weeks, interindividual rhythm diversity was found in male fetuses during higher maternal physical activity and during the summer season. The dynamic development of the daily fetal heart rate rhythm during the second half of pregnancy is modified by fetal sex, maternal physical activity and season. © 2018 Scandinavian Physiological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Diagnostic accuracy of heart-rate recovery after exercise in the assessment of diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy.

    PubMed

    Sacre, J W; Jellis, C L; Coombes, J S; Marwick, T H

    2012-09-01

    Poor prognosis associated with blunted post-exercise heart-rate recovery may reflect autonomic dysfunction. This study sought the accuracy of post-exercise heart-rate recovery in the diagnosis of cardiac autonomic neuropathy, which represents a serious, but often unrecognized complication of Type 2 diabetes. Clinical assessment of cardiac autonomic neuropathy and maximal treadmill exercise testing for heart-rate recovery were performed in 135 patients with Type 2 diabetes and negative exercise echocardiograms. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy was defined by abnormalities in ≥ 2 of 7 autonomic function markers, including four cardiac reflex tests and three indices of short-term (5-min) heart-rate variability. Heart-rate recovery was defined at 1-, 2- and 3-min post-exercise. Patients with cardiac autonomic neuropathy (n = 27; 20%) had lower heart-rate recovery at 1-, 2- and 3-min post-exercise (P < 0.01). Heart-rate recovery demonstrated univariate associations with autonomic function markers (r-values 0.20-0.46, P < 0.05). Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve revealed good diagnostic performance of all heart-rate recovery parameters (range 0.80-0.83, P < 0.001). Optimal cut-offs for heart-rate recovery at 1-, 2- and 3-min post-exercise were ≤ 28 beats/min (sensitivity 93%, specificity 69%), ≤ 50 beats/min (sensitivity 96%, specificity 63%) and ≤ 52 beats/min (sensitivity 70%, specificity 84%), respectively. These criteria predicted cardiac autonomic neuropathy independently of relevant clinical and exercise test information (adjusted odds ratios 7-28, P < 0.05). Post-exercise heart-rate recovery provides an accurate diagnostic test for cardiac autonomic neuropathy in Type 2 diabetes. The high sensitivity and modest specificity suggests heart-rate recovery may be useful to screen for patients requiring clinical autonomic evaluation. © 2012 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2012 Diabetes UK.

  8. A novel 'splice site' HCN4 Gene mutation, c.1737+1 G>T, causes familial bradycardia, reduced heart rate response, impaired chronotropic competence and increased short-term heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Hategan, Lidia; Csányi, Beáta; Ördög, Balázs; Kákonyi, Kornél; Tringer, Annamária; Kiss, Orsolya; Orosz, Andrea; Sághy, László; Nagy, István; Hegedűs, Zoltán; Rudas, László; Széll, Márta; Varró, András; Forster, Tamás; Sepp, Róbert

    2017-08-15

    The most important molecular determinant of heart rate regulation in sino-atrial pacemaker cells includes hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels, the major isoform of which is encoded by the HCN4 gene. Mutations affecting the HCN4 gene are associated primarily with sick sinus syndrome. A novel c.1737+1 G>T 'splice-site' HCN4 mutation was identified in a large family with familial bradycardia which co-segregated with the disease providing a two-point LOD score of 4.87. Twelve out of the 22 investigated family members [4 males, 8 females average age 36 (SD 6) years] were considered as clinically affected (heart rate<60/min on resting ECG). Minimum [36 (SD 7) vs. 47 (SD 5) bpm, p=0.0087) and average heart rates [62 (SD 8) vs. 73 (SD 8) bpm, p=0.0168) were significantly lower in carriers on 24-hour Holter recordings. Under maximum exercise test carriers achieved significantly lower heart rates than non-carrier family members, and percent heart rate reserve and percent corrected heart rate reserve were significantly lower in carriers. Applying rigorous criteria for chronotropic incompetence a higher number of carriers exhibited chronotropic incompetence. Parameters, characterizing short-term variability of heart rate (i.e. rMSSD and pNN50%) were increased in carrier family members, even after normalization for heart rate, in the 24-hour ECG recordings with the same relative increase in 5-minute recordings. The identified novel 'splice site' HCN4 gene mutation, c.1737+1 G>T, causes familial bradycardia and leads to reduced heart rate response, impaired chronotropic competence and increased short-term heart rate variability in the mutation carriers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Nonlinearities of heart rate variability in animal models of impaired cardiac control: contribution of different time scales.

    PubMed

    Silva, Luiz Eduardo Virgilio; Lataro, Renata Maria; Castania, Jaci Airton; Silva, Carlos Alberto Aguiar; Salgado, Helio Cesar; Fazan, Rubens; Porta, Alberto

    2017-08-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV) has been extensively explored by traditional linear approaches (e.g., spectral analysis); however, several studies have pointed to the presence of nonlinear features in HRV, suggesting that linear tools might fail to account for the complexity of the HRV dynamics. Even though the prevalent notion is that HRV is nonlinear, the actual presence of nonlinear features is rarely verified. In this study, the presence of nonlinear dynamics was checked as a function of time scales in three experimental models of rats with different impairment of the cardiac control: namely, rats with heart failure (HF), spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), and sinoaortic denervated (SAD) rats. Multiscale entropy (MSE) and refined MSE (RMSE) were chosen as the discriminating statistic for the surrogate test utilized to detect nonlinearity. Nonlinear dynamics is less present in HF animals at both short and long time scales compared with controls. A similar finding was found in SHR only at short time scales. SAD increased the presence of nonlinear dynamics exclusively at short time scales. Those findings suggest that a working baroreflex contributes to linearize HRV and to reduce the likelihood to observe nonlinear components of the cardiac control at short time scales. In addition, an increased sympathetic modulation seems to be a source of nonlinear dynamics at long time scales. Testing nonlinear dynamics as a function of the time scales can provide a characterization of the cardiac control complementary to more traditional markers in time, frequency, and information domains. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although heart rate variability (HRV) dynamics is widely assumed to be nonlinear, nonlinearity tests are rarely used to check this hypothesis. By adopting multiscale entropy (MSE) and refined MSE (RMSE) as the discriminating statistic for the nonlinearity test, we show that nonlinear dynamics varies with time scale and the type of cardiac dysfunction. Moreover, as complexity metrics and nonlinearities provide complementary information, we strongly recommend using the test for nonlinearity as an additional index to characterize HRV. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  10. The effect of heat transfer mode on heart rate responses and hysteresis during heating and cooling in the estuarine crocodile Crocodylus porosus.

    PubMed

    Franklin, Craig E; Seebacher, Frank

    2003-04-01

    The effect of heating and cooling on heart rate in the estuarine crocodile Crocodylus porosus was studied in response to different heat transfer mechanisms and heat loads. Three heating treatments were investigated. C. porosus were: (1) exposed to a radiant heat source under dry conditions; (2) heated via radiant energy while half-submerged in flowing water at 23 degrees C and (3) heated via convective transfer by increasing water temperature from 23 degrees C to 35 degrees C. Cooling was achieved in all treatments by removing the heat source and with C. porosus half-submerged in flowing water at 23 degrees C. In all treatments, the heart rate of C. porosus increased markedly in response to heating and decreased rapidly with the removal of the heat source. Heart rate during heating was significantly faster than during cooling at any given body temperature, i.e. there was a significant heart rate hysteresis. There were two identifiable responses to heating and cooling. During the initial stages of applying or removing the heat source, there was a dramatic increase or decrease in heart rate ('rapid response'), respectively, indicating a possible cardiac reflex. This rapid change in heart rate with only a small change or no change in body temperature (<0.5 degrees C) resulted in Q(10) values greater than 4000, calling into question the usefulness of this measure on heart rate during the initial stages of heating and cooling. In the later phases of heating and cooling, heart rate changed with body temperature, with Q(10) values of 2-3. The magnitude of the heart rate response differed between treatments, with radiant heating during submergence eliciting the smallest response. The heart rate of C. porosus outside of the 'rapid response' periods was found to be a function of the heat load experienced at the animal surface, as well as on the mode of heat transfer. Heart rate increased or decreased rapidly when C. porosus experienced large positive (above 25 W) or negative (below -15 W) heat loads, respectively, in all treatments. For heat loads between -15 W and 20 W, the increase in heart rate was smaller for the 'unnatural' heating by convection in water compared with either treatment using radiant heating. Our data indicate that changes in heart rate constitute a thermoregulatory mechanism that is modulated in response to the thermal environment occupied by the animal, but that heart rate during heating and cooling is, in part, controlled independently of body temperature.

  11. Evaluation of physiologic complexity in time series using generalized sample entropy and surrogate data analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eduardo Virgilio Silva, Luiz; Otavio Murta, Luiz

    2012-12-01

    Complexity in time series is an intriguing feature of living dynamical systems, with potential use for identification of system state. Although various methods have been proposed for measuring physiologic complexity, uncorrelated time series are often assigned high values of complexity, errouneously classifying them as a complex physiological signals. Here, we propose and discuss a method for complex system analysis based on generalized statistical formalism and surrogate time series. Sample entropy (SampEn) was rewritten inspired in Tsallis generalized entropy, as function of q parameter (qSampEn). qSDiff curves were calculated, which consist of differences between original and surrogate series qSampEn. We evaluated qSDiff for 125 real heart rate variability (HRV) dynamics, divided into groups of 70 healthy, 44 congestive heart failure (CHF), and 11 atrial fibrillation (AF) subjects, and for simulated series of stochastic and chaotic process. The evaluations showed that, for nonperiodic signals, qSDiff curves have a maximum point (qSDiffmax) for q ≠1. Values of q where the maximum point occurs and where qSDiff is zero were also evaluated. Only qSDiffmax values were capable of distinguish HRV groups (p-values 5.10×10-3, 1.11×10-7, and 5.50×10-7 for healthy vs. CHF, healthy vs. AF, and CHF vs. AF, respectively), consistently with the concept of physiologic complexity, and suggests a potential use for chaotic system analysis.

  12. Dynamic 123I-BMIPP single-photon emission computed tomography in patients with congestive heart failure: effect of angiotensin II type-1 receptor blockade.

    PubMed

    Takeishi, Yasuchika; Minamihaba, Osamu; Yamauchi, Sou; Arimoto, Takanori; Hirono, Osamu; Takahashi, Hiroki; Akiyama, Hideyuki; Miyamoto, Takuya; Nitobe, Joji; Nozaki, Naoki; Tachibana, Hidetada; Okuyama, Masaki; Fukui, Akio; Kubota, Isao; Okada, Akio; Takahashi, Kazuei

    2004-04-01

    Heart failure is a major and growing public health problem with a high mortality rate. Although recent studies have demonstrated that a variety of metabolic and/or neurohumoral factors are involved in the progression of this syndrome, the precise mechanisms responsible for this complex condition are poorly understood. To examine 123I-beta-methyl-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) kinetics in the early phase soon after tracer injection in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), we performed dynamic single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Twenty-six patients with CHF and eight control subjects were examined. The consecutive 15 images of 2-min dynamic SPECT were acquired for 30 min after injection. In the early phase after injection (0-4 min), a significant amount of radioactivity existed in the blood pool. After 6 min, the myocardial 123I-BMIPP image was clear and thus the washout rate of 123I-BMIPP from 6 to 30 min was calculated. The washout rate of 123I-BMIPP from the myocardium was faster in patients with CHF than in the controls (8 +/- 4 vs. -5 +/- 3%, p < 0.01). The washout rate of 123I-BMIPP demonstrated positive correlation with left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume index (R = 0.54, p < 0.02) and inverse correlation with LV ejection fraction (R = 0.53, p <0.02). Patients were given the angiotensin II type-1 receptor antagonist candesartan for 6 months, and dynamic SPECT was repeated. The enhanced washout rate of 123I-BMIPP in CHF was reduced after treatment with candesartan (p < 0.05). These data suggest that (1) enhanced washout of 123I-BMIPP was observed soon after injection in patients with CHF, (2) the activation of angiotensin II signaling pathway is involved as an intracellular mechanism for enhanced 123I-BMIPP washout in heart failure, and (3) improvement in fatty acid metabolism may represent a new mechanism for beneficial effects of angiotensin II receptor blockade on cardiac function and survival in patients with heart failure. 123I-BMIPP washout in the early phase obtained from dynamic SPECT may be a new marker for evaluating the severity of heart failure and the effects of medical treatment.

  13. Detection of a Heart Defect in the Fetus

    MedlinePlus

    ... problems : There is a wide range of acceptable fetal heart rates (normal is between 120 and 160 but many ... usually go away shortly after birth. More important fetal heart problems include tachycardia (hear rate too fast) and bradycardia (heart rate too slow). ...

  14. Heart rate variability in the individual fetus.

    PubMed

    Van Leeuwen, Peter; Cysarz, Dirk; Edelhäuser, Friedrich; Grönemeyer, Dietrich

    2013-11-01

    The change in fetal heart rate and its variability (HRV) during the course of gestation has been documented by numerous studies. The overall drop in heart rate and increase in fetal HRV is associated with fetal growth in general and with the increase in neural integration in particular. The increased complexity of the demands on the cardiovascular system leads to more variation in the temporal course of the heart rate. Most studies that document and interpret these changes are based on data acquired in groups of fetuses. The aim of this work was to investigate HRV within single fetuses. We acquired 213 5min fetal magnetocardiograms in 11 fetuses during the second and third trimesters (at least 10 data sets per fetus, median 17). From the magnetocardiograms we determined the fetal RR interval time series and calculated the standard deviation (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), approximate entropy (ApEn) and temporal asymmetry (Irrev). For each subject and HRV measure, we performed regression analysis with respect to gestational age, alone and in combination with RR interval. The coefficient of determination R(2) was used to estimate goodness-of-fit. The coefficient of quartile dispersion (CQD) was used to compare the regression parameters for each HRV measure. Overall, the HRV measures increased with age and RR interval. The consistency of the HRV measures within the individual fetuses was greater than in the data pooled over all fetuses. The individual R(2) for the model including age and RR interval was best for ApEn (.79, .59-.94; median, 90% CI), followed by RMSSD (.71, .25-.88), SDNN (.55, .18-.90) and Irrev (.16, .01-.39). These values, except for Irrev, were higher than those calculated over all 213 data sets (R(2)=.65, .63, .35, .28, respectively). The slopes of the regressions of each individual's data were most consistent over all subjects for ApEn, followed by RMSSD and SDNN and Irrev. Interindividually, the time domain measures showed discrepancies and the within-fetus courses were more consistent than the course over all fetuses. On the other hand, the course of ApEn during gestation was not only very consistent within each fetus but also very similar between most of subjects. Complexity measures such as ApEn may thus more consistently reflect prenatal developmental factors influencing cardiovascular regulation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Heart Rate Monitors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    Under a NASA grant, Dr. Robert M. Davis and Dr. William M. Portnoy came up with a new type of electrocardiographic electrode that would enable long term use on astronauts. Their invention was an insulated capacitive electrode constructed of a thin dielectric film. NASA subsequently licensed the electrode technology to Richard Charnitski, inventor of the VersaClimber, who founded Heart Rate, Inc., to further develop and manufacture personal heart monitors and to produce exercise machines using the technology for the physical fitness, medical and home markets. Same technology is on both the Home and Institutional Model VersaClimbers. On the Home Model an infrared heart beat transmitter is worn under exercise clothing. Transmitted heart rate is used to control the work intensity on the VersaClimber using the heart rate as the speedometer of the exercise. This offers advantages to a full range of users from the cardiac rehab patient to the high level physical conditioning of elite athletes. The company manufactures and markets five models of the 1*2*3 HEART RATE monitors that are used wherever people exercise to accurately monitor their heart rate. Company is developing a talking heart rate monitor that works with portable headset radios. A version of the heart beat transmitter will be available to the manufacturers of other aerobic exercise machines.

  16. Electrophysiological effects of the aqueous extract of Averrhoa carambola L. leaves on the guinea pig heart.

    PubMed

    Vasconcelos, C M L; Araújo, M S; Conde-Garcia, E A

    2006-07-01

    This work aims to describe some electrophysiological changes promoted by the aqueous extract (AEx) from Averrhoa carambola leaves in guinea pig heart. The experiments were carried out on isolated heart or on right atrium-ventricle preparations. In 6 hearts, the extract induced many kinds of atrioventricular blocks (1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees); increased the QT interval from 229+/-23 to 264+/-19 ms; increased the QRS complex duration from 27+/-3.1 to 59+/-11 ms, and depressed the cardiac rate from 136+/-17 to 89+/-14b pm. Furthermore, it decreased the conduction velocity of atrial impulse (17+/-3%); reduced the intraventricular pressure (86+/-6%), and increased the conduction time between the right atrium and the His bundle (27+/-6.5%). The conduction time from the His bundle to the right ventricle was not altered. Atropine sulfate did not change either the electrocardiographic parameters or the intraventricular pressure effects promoted by the A. carambola AEx. Based on these results, the popular use of such extracts should be avoided because it can promote electrical and mechanical changes in the normal heart.

  17. Dysphagia in infants after open heart procedures.

    PubMed

    Yi, Sook-Hee; Kim, Sang-Jun; Huh, June; Jun, Tae-Gook; Cheon, Hee Jung; Kwon, Jeong-Yi

    2013-06-01

    The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and the clinical predictors of dysphagia and to determine the characteristics of videofluoroscopic swallowing study findings in infants after open heart procedures. This study is a retrospective review of 146 infants who underwent open heart surgery. The infants with dysphagia were compared with those without dysphagia. The videofluoroscopic swallowing study findings of the infants with dysphagia were also evaluated. Of the 146 infants who underwent open heart surgery, 35 (24.0%) had dysphagia symptoms. The infants with dysphagia had lower body weight at operation, more malformation syndromes, longer operation times, and more complex operations than did the infants without dysphagia. In addition, the infants with dysphagia required more time to achieve full oral feeding and had longer hospital stays. Thirty-three infants underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing study: 32 (97.0%) exhibited at least one abnormal finding among the videofluoroscopic swallowing study parameters and 21 (63.6%) exhibited tracheal aspiration. Given the high rate of aspiration in the infants who underwent open heart procedures, monitoring and prompt recognition of the signs and the risk factors of dysphagia may substantially improve infant care with oral feeding and reduce the duration of hospital stays.

  18. Effects of far infrared rays irradiated from ceramic material (BIOCERAMIC) on psychological stress-conditioned elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and oxidative stress-suppressed cardiac contractility.

    PubMed

    Leung, Ting-Kai; Chen, Chien-Ho; Tsai, Shih-Ying; Hsiao, George; Lee, Chi-Ming

    2012-10-31

    The present study examined the effects of BIOCERAMIC on psychological stress-conditioned elevated heart rate, blood pressure and oxidative stress-suppressed cardiac contractility using in vivo and in vitro animal models. We investigated the effects of BIOCERAMIC on the in vivo cardiovascular hemodynamic parameters of rats by monitoring their heart rates, systolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Thereafter, we assayed its effects on the heart rate in an isolated frog heart with and without adrenaline stimulation, and on cardiac contractility under oxidative stress. BIOCERAMIC caused significant decreases in heart rates and systolic and mean blood pressure in the stress-conditioned heart rate rat models (P < 0.05), as well as in the experimental models of an isolated frog heart with and without adrenaline stimulation (P < 0.05), and normalized cardiac contractility under oxidative stress (P < 0.05). BIOCERAMIC may, therefore, normalize the effects of psychological stress and oxidative stress conditions.

  19. Heart rate variability alterations in late life depression: A meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Brown, Lydia; Karmakar, Chandan; Gray, Richard; Jindal, Ripu; Lim, Terrence; Bryant, Christina

    2018-08-01

    There is strong evidence for a bi-directional relationship between heart-health and depression in later life, but the physiological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Heart rate variability is one promising factor that might help explain this relationship. We present results of a meta-analysis that considers heart rate variability alterations in older adults with depression. Literature search of Embase, PsychInfo and Medline revealed five clinical studies and six observational studies that examined the relationship between heart rate variability and depression in adults with a mean age over 60. These studies were included in this meta-analysis. Heart rate variability was reduced among older adults with clinical depression (N = 550), relative to healthy controls (Hedges' g = -0.334, 95%CI [-0.579, -0.090], p = .007). When high-frequency and low-frequency heart rate variability were investigated separately, only low-frequency heart rate variability was significantly reduced in depressed patients (Hedges' g = -0.626, 95%CI [-1.083, -0.169], p = .007). A similar but weaker pattern of results was found in the observational studies. Most findings remained significant among unmedicated depressed older adults. Evidence of effect-size heterogeneity was found in the clinical studies, indicating the need for more well-designed research in the area. Heart rate variability is reduced among older adults with depression, and this effect is not fully attributable to antidepressant medication use. Specifically, low-frequency heart rate variability may be reduced in depressed older adults. Heart rate variability warrants further attention, as it could help inform research into the prevention and treatment of depression in later life. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Effect of propranolol on heart rate variability in hyperthyroidism.

    PubMed

    Tankeu, Aurel T; Azabji-Kenfack, Marcel; Nganou, Chris-Nadège; Ngassam, Eliane; Kuate-Mfeukeu, Liliane; Mba, Camille; Dehayem, Mesmin Y; Mbanya, Jean-Claude; Sobngwi, Eugene

    2018-02-22

    We aimed to determine the effect of propanolol on heart rate variability (HRV) in hyperthyroidism before antithyroid treatment. This was a before and after study, on ten patients presenting overt hyperthyroidism naïve to treatment. In each patient, a resting electrocardiogram was done followed by estimation of cardiac autonomic dysfunction during five maneuvers (Ewing battery tests). Long term HRV measurement was done using 24 h ambulatory electrocardiographic recording. This automatically provided estimation of HRV using SDNN and RMSSD index, LF, HF, and HF/LF ratio. After baseline investigations, 40 mg of propanolol was given twice a day for 3 days and same parameters were measured after 72 h of treatment. Our patients were aged 40 ± 10 years. Propanolol significantly reduced RR and HR interval (669 ms vs 763 ms and 91 vs 79 bpm; p < 0.01). QT and PR space were significantly extended (360 vs 384 ms and 133 vs 172 ms; p = 0.01). It increases QRS complex and blood pressure response to sustained handgrip but failed to modify previously decreased heart response to deep breathing. HRV parameters such as SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF and sympathovagal balance estimate by HF/LF ratio remained unchanged. Although a significant reduction in heart excitability, propanolol failed to restore a good sympathovagal balance in hyperthyroidism. Trial registration NCT03393728 "Retrospectively registered".

  1. Utilisation of three-dimensional printed heart models for operative planning of complex congenital heart defects.

    PubMed

    Olejník, Peter; Nosal, Matej; Havran, Tomas; Furdova, Adriana; Cizmar, Maros; Slabej, Michal; Thurzo, Andrej; Vitovic, Pavol; Klvac, Martin; Acel, Tibor; Masura, Jozef

    2017-01-01

    To evaluate the accuracy of the three-dimensional (3D) printing of cardiovascular structures. To explore whether utilisation of 3D printed heart replicas can improve surgical and catheter interventional planning in patients with complex congenital heart defects. Between December 2014 and November 2015 we fabricated eight cardiovascular models based on computed tomography data in patients with complex spatial anatomical relationships of cardiovascular structures. A Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess the accuracy of 3D printing by comparing dimension measurements at analogous anatomical locations between the printed models and digital imagery data, as well as between printed models and in vivo surgical findings. The contribution of 3D printed heart models for perioperative planning improvement was evaluated in the four most representative patients. Bland-Altman analysis confirmed the high accuracy of 3D cardiovascular printing. Each printed model offered an improved spatial anatomical orientation of cardiovascular structures. Current 3D printers can produce authentic copies of patients` cardiovascular systems from computed tomography data. The use of 3D printed models can facilitate surgical or catheter interventional procedures in patients with complex congenital heart defects due to better preoperative planning and intraoperative orientation.

  2. FPGA Implementation of Heart Rate Monitoring System.

    PubMed

    Panigrahy, D; Rakshit, M; Sahu, P K

    2016-03-01

    This paper describes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation of a system that calculates the heart rate from Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. After heart rate calculation, tachycardia, bradycardia or normal heart rate can easily be detected. ECG is a diagnosis tool routinely used to access the electrical activities and muscular function of the heart. Heart rate is calculated by detecting the R peaks from the ECG signal. To provide a portable and the continuous heart rate monitoring system for patients using ECG, needs a dedicated hardware. FPGA provides easy testability, allows faster implementation and verification option for implementing a new design. We have proposed a five-stage based methodology by using basic VHDL blocks like addition, multiplication and data conversion (real to the fixed point and vice-versa). Our proposed heart rate calculation (R-peak detection) method has been validated, using 48 first channel ECG records of the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. It shows an accuracy of 99.84%, the sensitivity of 99.94% and the positive predictive value of 99.89%. Our proposed method outperforms other well-known methods in case of pathological ECG signals and successfully implemented in FPGA.

  3. Changes in heart rate variability are associated with expression of short-term and long-term contextual and cued fear memories.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jun; Wei, Wei; Kuang, Hui; Zhao, Fang; Tsien, Joe Z

    2013-01-01

    Heart physiology is a highly useful indicator for measuring not only physical states, but also emotional changes in animals. Yet changes of heart rate variability during fear conditioning have not been systematically studied in mice. Here, we investigated changes in heart rate and heart rate variability in both short-term and long-term contextual and cued fear conditioning. We found that while fear conditioning could increase heart rate, the most significant change was the reduction in heart rate variability which could be further divided into two distinct stages: a highly rhythmic phase (stage-I) and a more variable phase (stage-II). We showed that the time duration of the stage-I rhythmic phase were sensitive enough to reflect the transition from short-term to long-term fear memories. Moreover, it could also detect fear extinction effect during the repeated tone recall. These results suggest that heart rate variability is a valuable physiological indicator for sensitively measuring the consolidation and expression of fear memories in mice.

  4. Alterations in the heart rate and activity rhythms of three orbital astronauts on a space mission.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhizhen; Wan, Yufeng; Zhang, Lin; Tian, Yu; Lv, Ke; Li, Yinghui; Wang, Chunhui; Chen, Xiaoping; Chen, Shanguang; Guo, Jinhu

    2015-01-01

    Environmental factors in space are dramatically different from those on Earth. The spaceflight environment has been known to influence human physiology and behavior on orbital missions. In this study, we investigated alterations in the diurnal rhythms of activity and heart rate of three Chinese astronauts on a space mission. An analysis of the heart rate data showed a significant decrease in heart rate amplitudes during flight in all three subjects. The heart rate amplitudes of all the three astronauts were significantly dampened during flight, and the minimum as well as the maximum value of heart rate increased after flight. A phase shift in heart rate was observed in one of the three astronauts after flight. These results demonstrate the influence of spaceflight on heart physiology and function. In addition, a significant decrease in body trunk activity and rhythmicity occurred during flight, demonstrating that the spaceflight environment disturbs motion adaptation and diurnal activity rhythms. Copyright © 2015 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Identification of heart rate–associated loci and their effects on cardiac conduction and rhythm disorders

    PubMed Central

    den Hoed, Marcel; Eijgelsheim, Mark; Esko, Tõnu; Brundel, Bianca J J M; Peal, David S; Evans, David M; Nolte, Ilja M; Segrè, Ayellet V; Holm, Hilma; Handsaker, Robert E; Westra, Harm-Jan; Johnson, Toby; Isaacs, Aaron; Yang, Jian; Lundby, Alicia; Zhao, Jing Hua; Kim, Young Jin; Go, Min Jin; Almgren, Peter; Bochud, Murielle; Boucher, Gabrielle; Cornelis, Marilyn C; Gudbjartsson, Daniel; Hadley, David; Van Der Harst, Pim; Hayward, Caroline; Heijer, Martin Den; Igl, Wilmar; Jackson, Anne U; Kutalik, Zoltán; Luan, Jian’an; Kemp, John P; Kristiansson, Kati; Ladenvall, Claes; Lorentzon, Mattias; Montasser, May E; Njajou, Omer T; O’Reilly, Paul F; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Pourcain, Beate St.; Rankinen, Tuomo; Salo, Perttu; Tanaka, Toshiko; Timpson, Nicholas J; Vitart, Veronique; Waite, Lindsay; Wheeler, William; Zhang, Weihua; Draisma, Harmen H M; Feitosa, Mary F; Kerr, Kathleen F; Lind, Penelope A; Mihailov, Evelin; Onland-Moret, N Charlotte; Song, Ci; Weedon, Michael N; Xie, Weijia; Yengo, Loic; Absher, Devin; Albert, Christine M; Alonso, Alvaro; Arking, Dan E; de Bakker, Paul I W; Balkau, Beverley; Barlassina, Cristina; Benaglio, Paola; Bis, Joshua C; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Brage, Søren; Chanock, Stephen J; Chines, Peter S; Chung, Mina; Darbar, Dawood; Dina, Christian; Dörr, Marcus; Elliott, Paul; Felix, Stephan B; Fischer, Krista; Fuchsberger, Christian; de Geus, Eco J C; Goyette, Philippe; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Harris, Tamara B; Hartikainen, Anna-liisa; Havulinna, Aki S; Heckbert, Susan R; Hicks, Andrew A; Hofman, Albert; Holewijn, Suzanne; Hoogstra-Berends, Femke; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Jensen, Majken K; Johansson, Åsa; Junttila, Juhani; Kääb, Stefan; Kanon, Bart; Ketkar, Shamika; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Knowles, Joshua W; Kooner, Angrad S; Kors, Jan A; Kumari, Meena; Milani, Lili; Laiho, Päivi; Lakatta, Edward G; Langenberg, Claudia; Leusink, Maarten; Liu, Yongmei; Luben, Robert N; Lunetta, Kathryn L; Lynch, Stacey N; Markus, Marcello R P; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Leach, Irene Mateo; McArdle, Wendy L; McCarroll, Steven A; Medland, Sarah E; Miller, Kathryn A; Montgomery, Grant W; Morrison, Alanna C; Müller-Nurasyid, Martina; Navarro, Pau; Nelis, Mari; O’Connell, Jeffrey R; O’Donnell, Christopher J; Ong, Ken K; Newman, Anne B; Peters, Annette; Polasek, Ozren; Pouta, Anneli; Pramstaller, Peter P; Psaty, Bruce M; Rao, Dabeeru C; Ring, Susan M; Rossin, Elizabeth J; Rudan, Diana; Sanna, Serena; Scott, Robert A; Sehmi, Jaban S; Sharp, Stephen; Shin, Jordan T; Singleton, Andrew B; Smith, Albert V; Soranzo, Nicole; Spector, Tim D; Stewart, Chip; Stringham, Heather M; Tarasov, Kirill V; Uitterlinden, André G; Vandenput, Liesbeth; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Whitfield, John B; Wijmenga, Cisca; Wild, Sarah H; Willemsen, Gonneke; Wilson, James F; Witteman, Jacqueline C M; Wong, Andrew; Wong, Quenna; Jamshidi, Yalda; Zitting, Paavo; Boer, Jolanda M A; Boomsma, Dorret I; Borecki, Ingrid B; Van Duijn, Cornelia M; Ekelund, Ulf; Forouhi, Nita G; Froguel, Philippe; Hingorani, Aroon; Ingelsson, Erik; Kivimaki, Mika; Kronmal, Richard A; Kuh, Diana; Lind, Lars; Martin, Nicholas G; Oostra, Ben A; Pedersen, Nancy L; Quertermous, Thomas; Rotter, Jerome I; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Verschuren, W M Monique; Walker, Mark; Albanes, Demetrius; Arnar, David O; Assimes, Themistocles L; Bandinelli, Stefania; Boehnke, Michael; de Boer, Rudolf A; Bouchard, Claude; Caulfield, W L Mark; Chambers, John C; Curhan, Gary; Cusi, Daniele; Eriksson, Johan; Ferrucci, Luigi; van Gilst, Wiek H; Glorioso, Nicola; de Graaf, Jacqueline; Groop, Leif; Gyllensten, Ulf; Hsueh, Wen-Chi; Hu, Frank B; Huikuri, Heikki V; Hunter, David J; Iribarren, Carlos; Isomaa, Bo; Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Jula, Antti; Kähönen, Mika; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; van der Klauw, Melanie M; Kooner, Jaspal S; Kraft, Peter; Iacoviello, Licia; Lehtimäki, Terho; Lokki, Marja-Liisa L; Mitchell, Braxton D; Navis, Gerjan; Nieminen, Markku S; Ohlsson, Claes; Poulter, Neil R; Qi, Lu; Raitakari, Olli T; Rimm, Eric B; Rioux, John D; Rizzi, Federica; Rudan, Igor; Salomaa, Veikko; Sever, Peter S; Shields, Denis C; Shuldiner, Alan R; Sinisalo, Juha; Stanton, Alice V; Stolk, Ronald P; Strachan, David P; Tardif, Jean-Claude; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Tuomilehto, Jaako; van Veldhuisen, Dirk J; Virtamo, Jarmo; Viikari, Jorma; Vollenweider, Peter; Waeber, Gérard; Widen, Elisabeth; Cho, Yoon Shin; Olsen, Jesper V; Visscher, Peter M; Willer, Cristen; Franke, Lude; Erdmann, Jeanette; Thompson, John R; Pfeufer, Arne; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Newton-Cheh, Christopher; Ellinor, Patrick T; Stricker, Bruno H Ch; Metspalu, Andres; Perola, Markus; Beckmann, Jacques S; Smith, George Davey; Stefansson, Kari; Wareham, Nicholas J; Munroe, Patricia B; Sibon, Ody C M; Milan, David J; Snieder, Harold; Samani, Nilesh J; Loos, Ruth J F

    2013-01-01

    Elevated resting heart rate is associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. In a 2-stage meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in up to 181,171 individuals, we identified 14 new loci associated with heart rate and confirmed associations with all 7 previously established loci. Experimental downregulation of gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster and Danio rerio identified 20 genes at 11 loci that are relevant for heart rate regulation and highlight a role for genes involved in signal transmission, embryonic cardiac development and the pathophysiology of dilated cardiomyopathy, congenital heart failure and/or sudden cardiac death. In addition, genetic susceptibility to increased heart rate is associated with altered cardiac conduction and reduced risk of sick sinus syndrome, and both heart rate–increasing and heart rate–decreasing variants associate with risk of atrial fibrillation. Our findings provide fresh insights into the mechanisms regulating heart rate and identify new therapeutic targets. PMID:23583979

  6. An open-source LabVIEW application toolkit for phasic heart rate analysis in psychophysiological research.

    PubMed

    Duley, Aaron R; Janelle, Christopher M; Coombes, Stephen A

    2004-11-01

    The cardiovascular system has been extensively measured in a variety of research and clinical domains. Despite technological and methodological advances in cardiovascular science, the analysis and evaluation of phasic changes in heart rate persists as a way to assess numerous psychological concomitants. Some researchers, however, have pointed to constraints on data analysis when evaluating cardiac activity indexed by heart rate or heart period. Thus, an off-line application toolkit for heart rate analysis is presented. The program, written with National Instruments' LabVIEW, incorporates a variety of tools for off-line extraction and analysis of heart rate data. Current methods and issues concerning heart rate analysis are highlighted, and how the toolkit provides a flexible environment to ameliorate common problems that typically lead to trial rejection is discussed. Source code for this program may be downloaded from the Psychonomic Society Web archive at www.psychonomic.org/archive/.

  7. Estimation of heart rate and heart rate variability from pulse oximeter recordings using localized model fitting.

    PubMed

    Wadehn, Federico; Carnal, David; Loeliger, Hans-Andrea

    2015-08-01

    Heart rate variability is one of the key parameters for assessing the health status of a subject's cardiovascular system. This paper presents a local model fitting algorithm used for finding single heart beats in photoplethysmogram recordings. The local fit of exponentially decaying cosines of frequencies within the physiological range is used to detect the presence of a heart beat. Using 42 subjects from the CapnoBase database, the average heart rate error was 0.16 BPM and the standard deviation of the absolute estimation error was 0.24 BPM.

  8. Validation of heart rate extraction through an iPhone accelerometer.

    PubMed

    Kwon, Sungjun; Lee, Jeongsu; Chung, Gih Sung; Park, Kwang Suk

    2011-01-01

    Ubiquitous medical technology may provide advanced utility for evaluating the status of the patient beyond the clinical environment. The iPhone provides the capacity to measure the heart rate, as the iPhone consists of a 3-axis accelerometer that is sufficiently sensitive to perceive tiny body movements caused by heart pumping. In this preliminary study, an iPhone was tested and evaluated as the reliable heart rate extractor to use for medical purpose by comparing with reference electrocardiogram. By comparing the extracted heart rate from acquired acceleration data with the extracted one from ECG reference signal, iPhone functioning as the reliable heart rate extractor has demonstrated sufficient accuracy and consistency.

  9. Effects of linear ablation at the isthmus between the tricuspid annulus and inferior vena cava for atrial flutter on autonomic nervous activity: analysis of heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Li, Aiyan; Kuga, Keisuke; Suzuki, Akihiro; Endo, Masae; Niho, Bumpei; Enomoto, Mami; Kanemoto, Miyako; Yamaguchi, Iwao

    2002-01-01

    Heart rate is largely affected by the autonomic nervous system. However, little is known about the anatomic pathway of autonomic nerve fibers innervating the sinus node. The present study: (1) evaluates the effects of cavotricuspid isthmus ablation for common atrial flutter (AFL) on autonomic nervous function by using heart rate variability analysis, and (2) investigates the distribution of autonomic nerve pathways innervating the sinus node. Twelve patients with paroxysmal common atrial flutter who maintained sinus rhythm both before and after radiofrequency ablation were selected for the study. Holter ambulatory recordings were performed before and after (2.3 +/- 1.0 days) radiofrequency ablation of cavotricuspid isthmus. Heart rate and time domain (SDANN, rMSSD, pNN50) and frequency domain (low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), LF/HF) analysis of heart rate variability were compared before and after ablation. Mean heart rate did not change significantly after ablation (59 +/- 6 vs 61 +/- 9 beats/min); parasympathetic indices of heart rate variability (SDANN, rMSSD, pNN50, HF) did not change significantly (110 +/- 37 vs 117 +/- 20 ms; 32 +/- 21 vs 28 +/- 9 ms; 4.8 +/- 0.9 vs 4.7 +/- 0.71n(ms2)); and sympathetic indices of heart rate variability (LF/HF) did not change significantly (1.1 +/- 0.2 vs 1.2 +/- 0.1). Cavotricuspid isthmus ablation for atrial flutter did not significantly change heart rate and heart rate variability because parasympathetic and sympathetic fibers innervating the sinus node are scarce in this region.

  10. Screening for coronary artery disease in respiratory patients: comparison of single- and dual-source CT in patients with a heart rate above 70 bpm.

    PubMed

    Pansini, Vittorio; Remy-Jardin, Martine; Tacelli, Nunzia; Faivre, Jean-Baptiste; Flohr, Thomas; Deken, Valérie; Duhamel, Alain; Remy, Jacques

    2008-10-01

    To evaluate the assessibility of coronary arteries in respiratory patients with high heart rates. This study was based on the comparative analysis of two paired populations of 54 patients with a heart rate >70 bpm evaluated with dual-source (group 1) and single-source (group 2) CT. The mean heart rate was 89.1 bpm in group 1 and 86.7 bpm in group 2 (P=0.26). The mean number of assessable segments per patient was significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (P

  11. Human Fetal Heart Rate Dishabituation between Thirty and Thirty-Two Weeks Gestation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandman, Curt A.; Wadhwa, Pathik; Hetrick, William; Porto, Manuel; Peeke, Harmon V. S.

    1997-01-01

    Examined the ability of 32-week human fetuses to learn and recall information. Found a significant heart rate habituation pattern for a series of vibroacoustic stimuli. After a single novel stimulus, the heart rate to stimulus 1 reemerged. Uterine contractions were not related to presentation of the novel stimulus or change in heart rate after the…

  12. Rhesus monkey heart rate during exercise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Delorge, J.; Thach, J. S., Jr.

    1972-01-01

    Various schedules of reinforcement and their relation to heart rates of rhesus monkeys during exercise are described. All the reinforcement schedules produced 100 per cent or higher increments in the heart rates of the monkeys during exercise. Resting heart rates were generally much lower than those previously reported, which was attributed to the lack of physical restraint of the monkeys during recording.

  13. Dynamic analysis of heart rate may predict subsequent ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Makikallio, T. H.; Seppanen, T.; Airaksinen, K. E.; Koistinen, J.; Tulppo, M. P.; Peng, C. K.; Goldberger, A. L.; Huikuri, H. V.

    1997-01-01

    Dynamics analysis of RR interval behavior and traditional measures of heart rate variability were compared between postinfarction patients with and without vulnerability to ventricular tachyarrhythmias in a case-control study. Short-term fractal correlation of heart rate dynamics was better than traditional measures of heart rate variability in differentiating patients with and without life-threatening arrhythmias.

  14. Design of heart rate monitor based on piezoelectric sensor using an Arduino

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setyowati, Veni; Muninggar, Jodelin; Shanti. N. A, Made R. S.

    2017-01-01

    Reading of result heart rate using an acoustic stethoscope needs a particular skill, quiet environment, and hearing sensitivity. This project had the purpose design of a user-friendly automatic heart rate monitor and especially in a noisy area which to eliminate problems and incorrect reading of result. The liquid crystal display shows a heart rate as a result of measurements. The design of the heart rate monitor has two main parts; the signal recorder that a piezoelectric sensor, a filter, and an amplifier as recorder. The second parts was Arduino microcontroller with reinforced. Besides, three supporting buttons provided as the manual switches, the ‘on’, the ‘start’, and ‘reset’ buttons. The values acquired from the heart rate monitor indicate that those were on the Vernier BPS-BTA value range. The measurement error factor of the heart rate monitor then compared to the Vernier BPS-BTA test device was 3.15%. Besides, the value of statistical independent-test indicates that there is no significant difference (P = 0.971) between the heart rate monitor device and the Vernier BPS-BTA. In conclusion, this device was ready to be used because it has almost the same accuracy with the standart device.

  15. Minimal changes in heart rate of incubating American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) in response to human activity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Borneman, Tracy E.; Rose, Eli T.; Simons, Theodore R.

    2014-01-01

    An organism's heart rate is commonly used as an indicator of physiological stress due to environmental stimuli. We used heart rate to monitor the physiological response of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) to human activity in their nesting environment. We placed artificial eggs with embedded microphones in 42 oystercatcher nests to record the heart rate of incubating oystercatchers continuously for up to 27 days. We used continuous video and audio recordings collected simultaneously at the nests to relate physiological response of birds (heart rate) to various types of human activity. We observed military and civilian aircraft, off-road vehicles, and pedestrians around nests. With the exception of high-speed, low-altitude military overflights, we found little evidence that oystercatcher heart rates were influenced by most types of human activity. The low-altitude flights were the only human activity to significantly increase average heart rates of incubating oystercatchers (12% above baseline). Although statistically significant, we do not consider the increase in heart rate during high-speed, low-altitude military overflights to be of biological significance. This noninvasive technique may be appropriate for other studies of stress in nesting birds.

  16. Opportunity for information search and the effect of false heart rate feedback.

    PubMed

    Barefoot, John C; Straub, Ronald B

    2005-01-01

    The role of information search in the attribution of physiological states was investigated by manipulating the subject's opportunity for information search following the presentation of false information about his heart-rate reactions to photographs of female nudes. Consistent with the self-persuasion hypothesis proposed by Valins, the rated attractiveness of the slides was not affected by the false heart-rate feedback for those subjects who were prevented from visually searching the slides. Those subjects who had ample opportunity to view the slides rated those slides accompanied by false information of a heart-rate change as more attractive than those slides which were not paired with a change in heart rate.

  17. Identification of genomic loci associated with resting heart rate and shared genetic predictors with all-cause mortality.

    PubMed

    Eppinga, Ruben N; Hagemeijer, Yanick; Burgess, Stephen; Hinds, David A; Stefansson, Kari; Gudbjartsson, Daniel F; van Veldhuisen, Dirk J; Munroe, Patricia B; Verweij, Niek; van der Harst, Pim

    2016-12-01

    Resting heart rate is a heritable trait correlated with life span. Little is known about the genetic contribution to resting heart rate and its relationship with mortality. We performed a genome-wide association discovery and replication analysis starting with 19.9 million genetic variants and studying up to 265,046 individuals to identify 64 loci associated with resting heart rate (P < 5 × 10 -8 ); 46 of these were novel. We then used the genetic variants identified to study the association between resting heart rate and all-cause mortality. We observed that a genetically predicted resting heart rate increase of 5 beats per minute was associated with a 20% increase in mortality risk (hazard ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.28, P = 8.20 × 10 -7 ) translating to a reduction in life expectancy of 2.9 years for males and 2.6 years for females. Our findings provide evidence for shared genetic predictors of resting heart rate and all-cause mortality.

  18. Genome-wide association studies and resting heart rate.

    PubMed

    Kilpeläinen, Tuomas O

    Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revolutionized the search for genetic variants regulating resting heart rate. In the last 10years, GWASs have led to the identification of at least 21 novel heart rate loci. These discoveries have provided valuable insights into the mechanisms and pathways that regulate heart rate and link heart rate to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. GWASs capture majority of genetic variation in a population sample by utilizing high-throughput genotyping chips measuring genotypes for up to several millions of SNPs across the genome in thousands of individuals. This allows the identification of the strongest heart rate associated signals at genome-wide level. While GWASs provide robust statistical evidence of the association of a given genetic locus with heart rate, they are only the starting point for detailed follow-up studies to locate the causal variants and genes and gain further insights into the biological mechanisms underlying the observed associations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The effect of competition on heart rate during kart driving: A field study.

    PubMed

    Matsumura, Kenta; Yamakoshi, Takehiro; Yamakoshi, Yasuhiro; Rolfe, Peter

    2011-09-09

    Both the act of competing, which can create a kind of mental stress, and participation in motor sports, which induces physical stress from intense g-forces, are known to increase heart rate dramatically. However, little is known about the specific effect of competition on heart rate during motor sports, particularly during four-wheel car driving. The goal of this preliminary study, therefore, was to investigate whether competition increases heart rate under such situations. The participants drove an entry-level formula kart during two competitive races and during solo driving against the clock while heart rate and g-forces were measured. Analyses showed that heart rate values during the races (168.8 beats/min) were significantly higher than those during solo driving (140.9 beats/min) and rest (75.1 beats/min). The results of this preliminary study indicate that competition heightens heart rate during four-wheel car driving. Kart drivers should be concerned about maintaining good health and developing physical strength.

  20. The effect of competition on heart rate during kart driving: A field study

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Both the act of competing, which can create a kind of mental stress, and participation in motor sports, which induces physical stress from intense g-forces, are known to increase heart rate dramatically. However, little is known about the specific effect of competition on heart rate during motor sports, particularly during four-wheel car driving. The goal of this preliminary study, therefore, was to investigate whether competition increases heart rate under such situations. Findings The participants drove an entry-level formula kart during two competitive races and during solo driving against the clock while heart rate and g-forces were measured. Analyses showed that heart rate values during the races (168.8 beats/min) were significantly higher than those during solo driving (140.9 beats/min) and rest (75.1 beats/min). Conclusions The results of this preliminary study indicate that competition heightens heart rate during four-wheel car driving. Kart drivers should be concerned about maintaining good health and developing physical strength. PMID:21906298

  1. Estimation of physical work load by statistical analysis of the heart rate in a conveyor-belt worker.

    PubMed

    Kontosic, I; Vukelić, M; Pancić, M; Kunisek, J

    1994-12-01

    Physical work load was estimated in a female conveyor-belt worker in a bottling plant. Estimation was based on continuous measurement and on calculation of average heart rate values in three-minute and one-hour periods and during the total measuring period. The thermal component of the heart rate was calculated by means of the corrected effective temperature, for the one-hour periods. The average heart rate at rest was also determined. The work component of the heart rate was calculated by subtraction of the resting heart rate and the heart rate measured at 50 W, using a regression equation. The average estimated gross energy expenditure during the work was 9.6 +/- 1.3 kJ/min corresponding to the category of light industrial work. The average estimated oxygen uptake was 0.42 +/- 0.06 L/min. The average performed mechanical work was 12.2 +/- 4.2 W, i.e. the energy expenditure was 8.3 +/- 1.5%.

  2. Management of heart transplant recipients: reference for primary care physicians.

    PubMed

    Kansara, Pranav; Kobashigawa, Jon A

    2012-07-01

    Heart transplantation is the treatment of choice for a select group of patients with end-stage heart failure. Survival rates have increased and complication rates have decreased due to better immunosuppressive agents, improvement in organ procurement and surgical technique, and overall increase in experience for performing heart transplantation. Involvement from primary care physicians is very important to optimize postoperative management of heart transplant recipients. In this article, we discuss the indications for heart transplantation, physiology of the denervated heart, the standard postoperative care of adult heart transplant recipients, and long-term complications. Primary care physicians must play an increasing role in the management of heart transplant recipients in the age of managed care and increasing survival rates.

  3. Prototype early warning system for heart disease detection using Android Application.

    PubMed

    Zennifa, Fadilla; Fitrilina; Kamil, Husnil; Iramina, Keiji

    2014-01-01

    Heart Disease affects approximately 70 million people worldwide where most people do not even know the symptoms. This research examines the prototype of early warning system for heart disease by android application. It aims to facilitate users to early detect heart disease which can be used independently. To build the application in android phone, variable centered intelligence rule system (VCIRS) as decision makers and pulse sensor - Arduino as heart rate detector were applied in this study. Moreover, in Arduino, the heart rate will become an input for symptoms in Android Application. The output of this system is the conclusion statement of users diagnosed with either coronary heart disease, hypertension heart disease, rheumatic heart disease or do not get any kind of heart disease. The result of diagnosis followed by analysis of the value of usage variable rate (VUR) rule usage rate (RUR) and node usage rate (NUR) that shows the value of the rule that will increase when the symptoms frequently appear. This application was compared with the medical analysis from 35 cases of heart disease and it showed concordance between diagnosis from android application and expert diagnosis of the doctors.

  4. How heart rate variability affects emotion regulation brain networks.

    PubMed

    Mather, Mara; Thayer, Julian

    2018-02-01

    Individuals with high heart rate variability tend to have better emotional well-being than those with low heart rate variability, but the mechanisms of this association are not yet clear. In this paper, we propose the novel hypothesis that by inducing oscillatory activity in the brain, high amplitude oscillations in heart rate enhance functional connectivity in brain networks associated with emotion regulation. Recent studies using daily biofeedback sessions to increase the amplitude of heart rate oscillations suggest that high amplitude physiological oscillations have a causal impact on emotional well-being. Because blood flow timing helps determine brain network structure and function, slow oscillations in heart rate have the potential to strengthen brain network dynamics, especially in medial prefrontal regulatory regions that are particularly sensitive to physiological oscillations.

  5. Children's Heart Rate Reactivity Responses to Three School Tasks.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharpley, Christopher F.; And Others

    1989-01-01

    Investigated effects of 3 routine classroom arithmetic and reading tasks upon the heart rate reactivity of 30 fifth grade children. Results indicated that some children showed large increases in heart rates during the three tasks, and that these children should be considered at risk for coronary heart disease. (Author/TE)

  6. Problem Behavior and Heart Rate Reactivity in Adopted Adolescents: Longitudinal and Concurrent Relations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bimmel, Nicole; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.; Juffer, Femmie; De Geus, Eco J. C.

    2008-01-01

    The present longitudinal study examined resting heart rate and heart rate variability and reactivity to a stressful gambling task in adopted adolescents with aggressive, delinquent, or internalizing behavior problems and adopted adolescents without behavior problems (total N=151). Early-onset delinquent adolescents showed heart rate…

  7. Tachycardia

    MedlinePlus

    ... normal while at rest. It's normal for your heart rate to rise during exercise or as a physiological ... the heart or both while at rest. Your heart rate is controlled by electrical signals sent across heart ...

  8. The Relationship Between Heart Rate Reserve and Oxygen Uptake Reserve in Heart Failure Patients on Optimized and Non-Optimized Beta-Blocker Therapy

    PubMed Central

    Carvalho, Vitor Oliveira; Guimarães, Guilherme Veiga; Bocchi, Edimar Alcides

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND The relationship between the percentage of oxygen consumption reserve and percentage of heart rate reserve in heart failure patients either on non-optimized or off beta-blocker therapy is known to be unreliable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the percentage of oxygen consumption reserve and percentage of heart rate reserve in heart failure patients receiving optimized and non-optimized beta-blocker treatment during a treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test. METHODS A total of 27 sedentary heart failure patients (86% male, 50±12 years) on optimized beta-blocker therapy with a left ventricle ejection fraction of 33±8% and 35 sedentary non-optimized heart failure patients (75% male, 47±10 years) with a left ventricle ejection fraction of 30±10% underwent the treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test (Naughton protocol). Resting and peak effort values of both the percentage of oxygen consumption reserve and percentage of heart rate reserve were, by definition, 0 and 100, respectively. RESULTS The heart rate slope for the non-optimized group was derived from the points 0.949±0.088 (0 intercept) and 1.055±0.128 (1 intercept), p<0.0001. The heart rate slope for the optimized group was derived from the points 1.026±0.108 (0 intercept) and 1.012±0.108 (1 intercept), p=0.47. Regression linear plots for the heart rate slope for each patient in the non-optimized and optimized groups revealed a slope of 0.986 (almost perfect) for the optimized group, but the regression analysis for the non-optimized group was 0.030 (far from perfect, which occurs at 1). CONCLUSION The relationship between the percentage of oxygen consumption reserve and percentage of heart rate reserve in patients on optimized beta-blocker therapy was reliable, but this relationship was unreliable in non-optimized heart failure patients. PMID:19060991

  9. Beyond Synchrony: Joint Action in a Complex Production Task Reveals Beneficial Effects of Decreased Interpersonal Synchrony

    PubMed Central

    Mitkidis, Panagiotis; Roepstorff, Andreas

    2016-01-01

    A variety of joint action studies show that people tend to fall into synchronous behavior with others participating in the same task, and that such synchronization is beneficial, leading to greater rapport, satisfaction, and performance. It has been noted that many of these task environments require simple interactions that involve little planning of action coordination toward a shared goal. The present study utilized a complex joint construction task in which dyads were instructed to build model cars while their hand movements and heart rates were measured. Participants built these models under varying conditions, delimiting how freely they could divide labor during a build session. While hand movement synchrony was sensitive to the different tasks and outcomes, the heart rate measure did not show any effects of interpersonal synchrony. Results for hand movements show that the more participants were constrained by a particular building strategy, the greater their behavioral synchrony. Within the different conditions, the degree of synchrony was predictive of subjective satisfaction and objective product outcomes. However, in contrast to many previous findings, synchrony was negatively associated with superior products, and, depending on the constraints on the interaction, positively or negatively correlated with higher subjective satisfaction. These results show that the task context critically shapes the role of synchronization during joint action, and that in more complex tasks, not synchronization of behavior, but rather complementary types of behavior may be associated with superior task outcomes. PMID:27997558

  10. STUDIES ON MAMMALIAN AND HUMAN PYRUVATE AND ALPHA-KETOGLUTARATE DEHYDROGENATION COMPLEXES.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    The pig heart pyruvate and alpha - ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex were isolated in highly purified state as multienzyme units with molecular...weights of approximately 9 million and 2.8 million, respectively. The aims were to resolve the pig heart pyruvate and alpha - ketoglutarate dehydrogenase...complexes was isolated from three sources; (1) pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, (2) alpha - ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and (3) amber-color extract free

  11. Heart rate and outcome in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: Differences between atrial fibrillation and sinus rhythm-A CIBIS II analysis.

    PubMed

    Mulder, Bart A; Damman, Kevin; Van Veldhuisen, Dirk J; Van Gelder, Isabelle C; Rienstra, Michiel

    2017-09-01

    Heart rate has been associated with prognosis in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) and sinus rhythm; whether this also holds true in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is unknown. To evaluate cardiac rhythm and baseline heart rate and the influence of outcome in patients with HFREF enrolled in the Cardiac Insufficiency Bisoprolol Study II. In total, 2539 patients were stratified according to their baseline heart rhythm (AF or sinus rhythm) and into quartiles of heart rate (≤70 bpm, 71-78 bpm, 79-90 bpm, and >90 bpm). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Mean follow-up was 1.3 years. Mean age was 61 years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 28%, and 80% were male. A total of 521 (21%) patients had AF at baseline. The risk associated with all-cause mortality for each 5 bpm increase in heart rate in patients with sinus rhythm (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.11, P = 0.012) was significantly different from those with AF (HR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.94-1.07, P = 0.90, P for interaction = 0.041). The risk associated with higher heart rate in sinus rhythm was primarily attributable to excess risk in the highest quartile (HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.18-2.30, P = 0.003). Allocation to bisoprolol did not modify the interaction between heart rate, rhythm and outcome. In HFREF patients with AF, a higher heart rate is not associated with increased event rates in contrast to HFREF patients with sinus rhythm. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Heart rate at first postdischarge visit and outcomes in patients with heart failure.

    PubMed

    Kim, Tae-Hun; Kim, Hyungseop; Kim, In-Cheol; Yoon, Hyuck-Jun; Park, Hyoung-Seob; Cho, Yun-Kyeong; Nam, Chang-Wook; Han, Seongwook; Hur, Seung-Ho; Kim, Yoon-Nyun

    2018-07-01

    Heart rate control is important to prevent adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). However, postdischarge activity may worsen heart rate control, resulting in readmission. This study aimed to explore the implications of the heart rate differences between discharge and the first outpatient visit (D-O diff). We retrospectively identified 458 patients (male: 46%; mean age: 72 years) discharged after HF. The heart rates at admission, discharge and first outpatient visit were analysed. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular (CV) death and readmission of non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), non-fatal stroke or non-fatal HF over a mean follow-up of 16 months. During follow-up, the clinical outcomes were noted in 223 patients (49%): HF, 199; stroke, 9; MI, 6; CV death, 9. The heart rate at the first outpatient visit (r=-0.311, P<0.001) and D-O diff (r=0.416, P<0.001) showed a better correlation with the time-to-clinical event than the heart rate at admission or discharge. The events group displayed a pronounced heart rate increase (13 beats/min) from discharge to the first outpatient visit compared with the event-free group (a decrease of 2 beats/min). A decrease less than -15 in the D-O diff showed a 4.5-fold risk of clinical outcomes during follow-up (P<0.001). A decreased D-O diff was related to the adverse outcomes of HF. The failure of heart rate control within more than 15 beats/min at the first outpatient visit was an independent factor for CV events. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  13. Heart rate at admission is a predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with acute coronary syndromes: Results from 58 European hospitals: The European Hospital Benchmarking by Outcomes in acute coronary syndrome Processes study.

    PubMed

    Jensen, Magnus T; Pereira, Marta; Araujo, Carla; Malmivaara, Anti; Ferrieres, Jean; Degano, Irene R; Kirchberger, Inge; Farmakis, Dimitrios; Garel, Pascal; Torre, Marina; Marrugat, Jaume; Azevedo, Ana

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between heart rate at admission and in-hospital mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Consecutive ACS patients admitted in 2008-2010 across 58 hospitals in six participant countries of the European Hospital Benchmarking by Outcomes in ACS Processes (EURHOBOP) project (Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal and Spain). Cardiogenic shock patients were excluded. Associations between heart rate at admission in categories of 10 beats per min (bpm) and in-hospital mortality were estimated by logistic regression in crude models and adjusting for age, sex, obesity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, known heart failure, renal failure, previous stroke and ischaemic heart disease. In total 10,374 patients were included. In both STEMI and NSTE-ACS patients, a U-shaped relationship between admission heart rate and in-hospital mortality was found. The lowest risk was observed for heart rates between 70-79 bpm in STEMI and 60-69 bpm in NSTE-ACS; risk of mortality progressively increased with lower or higher heart rates. In multivariable models, the relationship persisted but was significant only for heart rates >80 bpm. A similar relationship was present in both patients with or without diabetes, above or below age 75 years, and irrespective of the presence of atrial fibrillation or use of beta-blockers. Heart rate at admission is significantly associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with both STEMI and NSTE-ACS. ACS patients with admission heart rate above 80 bpm are at highest risk of in-hospital mortality.

  14. Measuring hospital performance in congenital heart surgery: Administrative vs. clinical registry data

    PubMed Central

    Pasquali, Sara K.; He, Xia; Jacobs, Jeffrey P.; Jacobs, Marshall L.; Gaies, Michael G.; Shah, Samir S.; Hall, Matthew; Gaynor, J. William; Peterson, Eric D.; Mayer, John E.; Hirsch-Romano, Jennifer C.

    2015-01-01

    Background In congenital heart surgery, hospital performance has historically been assessed using widely available administrative datasets. Recent studies have demonstrated inaccuracies in case ascertainment (coding and inclusion of eligible cases) in administrative vs. clinical registry data, however it is unclear whether this impacts assessment of performance on a hospital-level. Methods Merged data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Database (clinical registry), and Pediatric Health Information Systems Database (administrative dataset) on 46,056 children undergoing heart surgery (2006–2010) were utilized to evaluate in-hospital mortality for 33 hospitals based on their administrative vs. registry data. Standard methods to identify/classify cases were used: Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS-1) in the administrative data, and STS–European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (STAT) methodology in the registry. Results Median hospital surgical volume based on the registry data was 269 cases/yr; mortality was 2.9%. Hospital volumes and mortality rates based on the administrative data were on average 10.7% and 4.7% lower, respectively, although this varied widely across hospitals. Hospital rankings for mortality based on the administrative vs. registry data differed by ≥ 5 rank-positions for 24% of hospitals, with a change in mortality tertile classification (high, middle, or low mortality) for 18%, and change in statistical outlier classification for 12%. Higher volume/complexity hospitals were most impacted. Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research methods in the administrative data yielded similar results. Conclusions Inaccuracies in case ascertainment in administrative vs. clinical registry data can lead to important differences in assessment of hospital mortality rates for congenital heart surgery. PMID:25624057

  15. Mental workload measurement for emergency operating procedures in digital nuclear power plants.

    PubMed

    Gao, Qin; Wang, Yang; Song, Fei; Li, Zhizhong; Dong, Xiaolu

    2013-01-01

    Mental workload is a major consideration for the design of emergency operation procedures (EOPs) in nuclear power plants. Continuous and objective measures are desired. This paper compares seven mental workload measurement methods (pupil size, blink rate, blink duration, heart rate variability, parasympathetic/sympathetic ratio, total power and (Goals, Operations, Methods, and Section Rules)-(Keystroke Level Model) GOMS-KLM-based workload index) with regard to sensitivity, validity and intrusiveness. Eighteen participants performed two computerised EOPs of different complexity levels, and mental workload measures were collected during the experiment. The results show that the blink rate is sensitive to both the difference in the overall task complexity and changes in peak complexity within EOPs, that the error rate is sensitive to the level of arousal and correlate to the step error rate and that blink duration increases over the task period in both low and high complexity EOPs. Cardiac measures were able to distinguish tasks with different overall complexity. The intrusiveness of the physiological instruments is acceptable. Finally, the six physiological measures were integrated using group method of data handling to predict perceived overall mental workload. The study compared seven measures for evaluating the mental workload with emergency operation procedure in nuclear power plants. An experiment with simulated procedures was carried out, and the results show that eye response measures are useful for assessing temporal changes of workload whereas cardiac measures are useful for evaluating the overall workload.

  16. Heart Rate Recovery, Physical Activity Level, and Functional Status in Subjects With COPD.

    PubMed

    Morita, Andrea A; Silva, Laís K O; Bisca, Gianna W; Oliveira, Joice M; Hernandes, Nidia A; Pitta, Fabio; Furlanetto, Karina C

    2018-05-15

    A normal heart rate reflects the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system. When the difference between heart rate at the end of an exercise test and after 1 min of recovery, known as the 1-min heart rate recovery, is ≤ 12 beats/min, this may indicate an abnormal delay. We sought to compare physical activity patterns and subjects' functional status with COPD with or without delayed 1-min heart rate recovery after the 6-min walk test (6MWT). 145 subjects with COPD (78 men, median [interquartile range (IQR)] age 65 [60-73] y, body mass index 25 [21-30] kg/m 2 , FEV 1 45 ± 15% predicted) were underwent the following assessments: spirometry, 6MWT, functional status, and physical activity in daily life (PADL). A delayed heart rate recovery of 1 min was defined as ≤ 12 beats/min. Subjects with delayed 1-min heart rate recovery walked a shorter distance in the 6MWT compared to subjects without delayed heart rate recovery (median [IQR] 435 [390-507] m vs 477 [425-515] m, P = .01; 81 [71-87] vs 87 [79-98]% predicted, P = .002). Regarding PADL, subjects with delayed heart rate recovery spent less time in the standing position (mean ± SD 185 ± 89 min vs 250 ± 107 min, P = .002) and more time in sedentary positions (472 ± 110 min vs 394 ± 129 min, P = .002). Scores based on the self-care domain of the London Chest Activity of Daily Living questionnaire and the activity domain of the Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnea questionnaire were also worse in the group with delayed heart rate recovery (6 ± 2 points vs 5 ± 2 points; P = .039 and 29 ± 24 points vs 19 ± 17 points; P = .037, respectively). Individuals with COPD who exhibit delayed 1-min heart rate recovery after the 6MWT exhibited worse exercise capacity as well as a more pronounced sedentary lifestyle and worse functional status than those without delayed heart rate recovery. Despite its assessment simplicity, heart rate recovery after the 6MWT can be further explored as a promising outcome in COPD. Copyright © 2018 by Daedalus Enterprises.

  17. Heart Rates of High School Physical Education Students during Team Sports, Individual Sports, and Fitness Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laurson, Kelly R.; Brown, Dale D.; Cullen, Robert W.; Dennis, Karen K.

    2008-01-01

    This study examined how activity type influenced heart rates and time spent in target heart rate zones of high school students participating in physical education classes. Significantly higher average heart rates existed for fitness (142 plus or minus 24 beats per minute [bpm]) compared to team (118 plus or minus 24 bpm) or individual (114 plus or…

  18. Making the Most of the "Daphnia" Heart Rate Lab: Optimizing the Use of Ethanol, Nicotine & Caffeine

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corotto, Frank; Ceballos, Darrel; Lee, Adam; Vinson, Lindsey

    2010-01-01

    Students commonly test the effects of chemical agents on the heart rate of the crustacean "Daphnia" magna, but the procedure has never been optimized. We determined the effects of three concentrations of ethanol, nicotine, and caffeine and of a control solution on heart rate in "Daphnia." Ethanol at 5% and 10% (v/v) reduced mean heart rate to…

  19. [Mortality from heart attack in Belgrade population during the period 1990-2004].

    PubMed

    Ratkov, Isidora; Sipetić, Sandra; Vlajinac, Hristina; Sekeres, Bojan

    2008-01-01

    In most countries, cardiovascular diseases are the leading disorders, with ischemic heart diseases being the leading cause of death. According to WHO data, every year about 17 million people die of cardiovascular diseases, which is 30% of all deaths. Ischemic heart diseases contribute from one-third to one-half of all deaths due to cardiovascular diseases. Three point eight million men and 3.4 million women in the world die every year from ischemic heart diseases, and in Europe about 2 million. The highest mortality rate from ischemic heart diseases occurs in India, China and Russia. The aim of this descriptive epidemiological study was to determine heart attack mortality in Belgrade population during the period 1990-2004. In the study, we conducted investigation of Belgrade population during the period 1990-2004. Mortality data were obtained from the city institution for statistics. The mortality rates were calculated based on the total Belgrade population obtained from the mean values for the last two register years (1991 and 2002). The mortality rates were standardized using the direct method of standardization according to the world (Segi) standard population. In the Belgrade population during the period 1990-2004, the participation of mortality rate due to heart attack among deaths from cardiovascular diseases was 17% in males and 10% in females. In Belgrade male population, mean standardized mortality rates (per 100,000 habitants) were 50.5 for heart attack, 8.3 for chronic ischemic heart diseases and 4.6 for angina pectoris, while in females the rates were 30.8, 6.7 and 4.2, respectively. Mortality from ischemic heart diseases and from heart attack was higher in males than in females. During the studied 15-year period, on average 755 males and 483 females died due to heart attack every year. Mean standardized mortality rates per 100,000 habitants were 50.0 in male and 31.1 in female population. Males died 1.6 times more frequently from heart attack than females. During the studied period, mean standardized mortality rates from heart attack, in the population aged over 30 increased with age both in male and female population. However, males tended to die from heart attack at an earlier age than females, with death rates for males approximately the same as those for women who were 10 years older. In Belgrade during the period from 1990-2004, we found that there was an increasing trend in mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases, while the trend of mortality rate from heart attack was constant with insignificant oscillations.

  20. Leptin decreases heart rate associated with increased ventricular repolarization via its receptor.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yen-Chang; Huang, Jianying; Hileman, Stan; Martin, Karen H; Hull, Robert; Davis, Mary; Yu, Han-Gang

    2015-11-15

    Leptin has been proposed to modulate cardiac electrical properties via β-adrenergic receptor activation. The presence of leptin receptors and adipocytes in myocardium raised a question as to whether leptin can directly modulate cardiac electrical properties such as heart rate and QT interval via its receptor. In this work, the role of local direct actions of leptin on heart rate and ventricular repolarization was investigated. We identified the protein expression of leptin receptors at cell surface of sinus node, atrial, and ventricular myocytes isolated from rat heart. Leptin at low doses (0.1-30 μg/kg) decreased resting heart rate; at high doses (150-300 μg/kg), leptin induced a biphasic effect (decrease and then increase) on heart rate. In the presence of high-dose propranolol (30 mg/kg), high-dose leptin only reduced heart rate and sometimes caused sinus pauses and ventricular tachycardia. The leptin-induced inhibition of resting heart rate was fully reversed by leptin antagonist. Leptin also increased heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc), and leptin antagonist did not. In isolated ventricular myocytes, leptin (0.03-0.3 μg/ml) reversibly increased the action potential duration. These results supported our hypothesis that in addition to indirect pathway via sympathetic tone, leptin can directly decrease heart rate and increase QT interval via its receptor independent of β-adrenergic receptor stimulation. During inhibition of β-adrenergic receptor activity, high concentration of leptin in myocardium can cause deep bradycardia, prolonged QT interval, and ventricular arrhythmias. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  1. Leptin decreases heart rate associated with increased ventricular repolarization via its receptor

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Yen-Chang; Huang, Jianying; Hileman, Stan; Martin, Karen H.; Hull, Robert; Davis, Mary

    2015-01-01

    Leptin has been proposed to modulate cardiac electrical properties via β-adrenergic receptor activation. The presence of leptin receptors and adipocytes in myocardium raised a question as to whether leptin can directly modulate cardiac electrical properties such as heart rate and QT interval via its receptor. In this work, the role of local direct actions of leptin on heart rate and ventricular repolarization was investigated. We identified the protein expression of leptin receptors at cell surface of sinus node, atrial, and ventricular myocytes isolated from rat heart. Leptin at low doses (0.1–30 μg/kg) decreased resting heart rate; at high doses (150–300 μg/kg), leptin induced a biphasic effect (decrease and then increase) on heart rate. In the presence of high-dose propranolol (30 mg/kg), high-dose leptin only reduced heart rate and sometimes caused sinus pauses and ventricular tachycardia. The leptin-induced inhibition of resting heart rate was fully reversed by leptin antagonist. Leptin also increased heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc), and leptin antagonist did not. In isolated ventricular myocytes, leptin (0.03–0.3 μg/ml) reversibly increased the action potential duration. These results supported our hypothesis that in addition to indirect pathway via sympathetic tone, leptin can directly decrease heart rate and increase QT interval via its receptor independent of β-adrenergic receptor stimulation. During inhibition of β-adrenergic receptor activity, high concentration of leptin in myocardium can cause deep bradycardia, prolonged QT interval, and ventricular arrhythmias. PMID:26408544

  2. Low Blood Pressure

    MedlinePlus

    ... to low blood pressure are an abnormally low heart rate ( bradycardia ), problems with heart valves , heart attack and ... occurred. Is low blood pressure related to low heart rate? Find out . This content was last reviewed October ...

  3. Children and Arrhythmia

    MedlinePlus

    ... your child has been diagnosed with an abnormal heart rate, you're probably alarmed. That's understandable. But by ... care for your child. About heart rhythms The heart rate is the number of times the heart beats ...

  4. Prospective Analysis of Decision Making During Joint Cardiology Cardiothoracic Conference in Treatment of 107 Consecutive Children with Congenital Heart Disease.

    PubMed

    Duignan, Sophie; Ryan, Aedin; O'Keeffe, Dara; Kenny, Damien; McMahon, Colin J

    2018-05-12

    The complexity and potential biases involved in decision making have long been recognised and examined in both the aviation and business industries. More recently, the medical community have started to explore this concept and its particular importance in our field. Paediatric cardiology is a rapidly expanding field and for many of the conditions we treat, there is limited evidence available to support our decision-making. Variability exists within decision-making in paediatric cardiology and this may influence outcomes. There are no validated tools available to support and examine consistent decision-making for various treatment strategies in children with congenital heart disease in a multidisciplinary cardiology and cardiothoracic institution. Our primary objective was to analyse the complexity of decision-making for children with cardiac conditions in the context of our joint cardiology and cardiothoracic conference (JCC). Two paediatric cardiologists acted as investigators by observing the weekly joint cardiology-cardiothoracic surgery conference and prospectively evaluating the degree of complexity of decision-making in the management of 107 sequential children with congenital heart disease discussed. Additionally, the group consensus on the same patients was prospectively assessed to compare this to the independent observers. Of 107 consecutive children discussed at our JCC conference 32 (27%) went on to receive surgical intervention, 20 (17%) underwent catheterisation and 65 (56%) received medical treatment. There were 53 (50%) cases rated as simple by one senior observer, while 54 (50%) were rated as complex to some degree. There was high inter-observer agreement with a Krippendorff's alpha of ≥ 0.8 between 2 observers and between 2 observers and the group consensus as a whole for grading of the complexity of decision-making. Different decisions were occasionally made on patients with the same data set. Discussions revisiting the same patient, in complex cases, resulted in different management decisions being reached in this series. Anchoring of decision-making was witnessed in certain cases. Potential application of decision making algorithms is discussed in making decisions in paediatric cardiology patients. Decision-making in our institution's joint cardiology-cardiothoracic conference proved to be complex in approximately half of our patients. Inconsistency in decision-making for patients with the same diagnosis, and different decisions made for the same complex patient at different time points confounds the reliability of the decision-making process. These novel data highlight the absence of evidence-based medicine for many decisions, occasional lack of consistency and the impact of anchoring, heuristics and other biases in complex cases. Validated decision-making algorithms may assist in providing consistency to decision-making in this setting.

  5. Sudden Death After Febrile Seizure Case Report: Cerebral Suppression Precedes Severe Bradycardia.

    PubMed

    Myers, Kenneth A; McPherson, Robyn E; Clegg, Robin; Buchhalter, Jeffrey

    2017-11-01

    A 20-month-old girl with a complex chromosomal disorder had first presentation of febrile status epilepticus and was admitted to the hospital. Two days after her initial seizure, she died suddenly and unexpectedly during a video EEG monitoring study. An advanced analysis of the physiologic changes in the hours and minutes leading up to death was undertaken. The electrocardiography over the last 19 minutes of life was reviewed, and the R-R intervals were manually measured. Heart rate variability was assessed through calculation of the SD of the R-R intervals and the root mean square of successive differences over successive 100 beat periods. Instantaneous heart rate, SD of the R-R intervals, the root mean square of successive differences, and oxygen saturation were plotted against time over the last 19 minutes of life. Diffuse cerebral suppression on EEG was observed 10 minutes before death, followed minutes later by severe bradycardia and increased heart rate variability. Although the child did not meet criteria for a diagnosis of epilepsy, the sequence of physiologic changes leading up to death suggests a pathophysiology similar to sudden unexplained death in epilepsy. A comparable pattern of diffuse cerebral suppression preceding parasympathetic overactivity has been suggested in some rare cases of adults who have experienced sudden unexplained death in epilepsy during video EEG monitoring. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  6. Linear and nonlinear measures of fetal heart rate patterns evaluated on very short fetal magnetocardiograms.

    PubMed

    Moraes, Eder Rezende; Murta, Luiz Otavio; Baffa, Oswaldo; Wakai, Ronald T; Comani, Silvia

    2012-10-01

    We analyzed the effectiveness of linear short- and long-term variability time domain parameters, an index of sympatho-vagal balance (SDNN/RMSSD) and entropy in differentiating fetal heart rate patterns (fHRPs) on the fetal heart rate (fHR) series of 5, 3 and 2 min duration reconstructed from 46 fetal magnetocardiograms. Gestational age (GA) varied from 21 to 38 weeks. FHRPs were classified based on the fHR standard deviation. In sleep states, we observed that vagal influence increased with GA, and entropy significantly increased (decreased) with GA (SDNN/RMSSD), demonstrating that a prevalence of vagal activity with autonomous nervous system maturation may be associated with increased sleep state complexity. In active wakefulness, we observed a significant negative (positive) correlation of short-term (long-term) variability parameters with SDNN/RMSSD. ANOVA statistics demonstrated that long-term irregularity and standard deviation of normal-to-normal beat intervals (SDNN) best differentiated among fHRPs. Our results confirm that short- and long-term variability parameters are useful to differentiate between quiet and active states, and that entropy improves the characterization of sleep states. All measures differentiated fHRPs more effectively on very short HR series, as a result of the fMCG high temporal resolution and of the intrinsic timescales of the events that originate the different fHRPs.

  7. Neighborhood street scale elements, sedentary time and cardiometabolic risk factors in inactive ethnic minority women.

    PubMed

    Lee, Rebecca E; Mama, Scherezade K; Adamus-Leach, Heather J

    2012-01-01

    Cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, excess percent body fat, high blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate and sedentary behavior have increased in recent decades due to changes in the environment and lifestyle. Neighborhood micro-environmental, street scale elements may contribute to health above and beyond individual characteristics of residents. To investigate the relationship between neighborhood street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors among inactive ethnic minority women. Women (N = 410) completed measures of BMI, percent body fat, blood pressure, resting heart rate, sedentary behavior and demographics. Trained field assessors completed the Pedestrian Environment Data Scan in participants' neighborhoods. Data were collected from 2006-2008. Multiple regression models were conducted in 2011 to estimate the effect of environmental factors on cardiometabolic risk factors. Adjusted regression models found an inverse association between sidewalk buffers and blood pressure, between traffic control devices and resting heart rate, and a positive association between presence of pedestrian crossing aids and BMI (ps<.05). Neighborhood attractiveness and safety for walking and cycling were related to more time spent in a motor vehicle (ps<.05). Findings suggest complex relationships among micro-environmental, street scale elements that may confer important cardiometabolic benefits and risks for residents. Living in the most attractive and safe neighborhoods for physical activity may be associated with longer times spent sitting in the car.

  8. Cardiovascular regulation during sleep quantified by symbolic coupling traces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suhrbier, A.; Riedl, M.; Malberg, H.; Penzel, T.; Bretthauer, G.; Kurths, J.; Wessel, N.

    2010-12-01

    Sleep is a complex regulated process with short periods of wakefulness and different sleep stages. These sleep stages modulate autonomous functions such as blood pressure and heart rate. The method of symbolic coupling traces (SCT) is used to analyze and quantify time-delayed coupling of these measurements during different sleep stages. The symbolic coupling traces, defined as the symmetric and diametric traces of the bivariate word distribution matrix, allow the quantification of time-delayed coupling. In this paper, the method is applied to heart rate and systolic blood pressure time series during different sleep stages for healthy controls as well as for normotensive and hypertensive patients with sleep apneas. Using the SCT, significant different cardiovascular mechanisms not only between the deep sleep and the other sleep stages but also between healthy subjects and patients can be revealed. The SCT method is applied to model systems, compared with established methods, such as cross correlation, mutual information, and cross recurrence analysis and demonstrates its advantages especially for nonstationary physiological data. As a result, SCT proves to be more specific in detecting delays of directional interactions than standard coupling analysis methods and yields additional information which cannot be measured by standard parameters of heart rate and blood pressure variability. The proposed method may help to indicate the pathological changes in cardiovascular regulation and also the effects of continuous positive airway pressure therapy on the cardiovascular system.

  9. [Analysis of 24-hour blood pressure profile, heart rate variability and carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients among native and nonnative population living in Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district].

    PubMed

    Gapon, L I; Sereda, T V; Leont'eva, A V

    2014-01-01

    To study special characteristics of the course of arterial hypertension (AH) among native and nonnative population of Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district. We examined 100 residents of Far North with AH (men and women aged 21-55, mean age 44.08 ± 1.15 years). All patients were divided into 2 equal groups by 50 subjects: group I consisted of representatives of native and group II--nonnative population. Examination was carried out in outpatient clinic in Salekhard and included 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), registration of heart rate variability, duplex scanning of brachiocephalic arteries, and assessment of blood lipid profile. The groups were matched by age, gender and disease duration. Analysis of heart rate variability detected significant degree of strain of regulatory systems in most patients of both groups. According to results of ABPM "non-dipper" patients prevailed in group I compared to group II (p = 0.01). Common carotid artery intima-media complex was significantly greater compared to normal value in all patients; it was thicker in group I (p < 0.03), but number of carotid artery stenoses was similar in both groups. No dyslipoproteinemia was detected. Compared with group of representatives of nonnative (adopted) population group of native subjects with AH was characterized by greater carotid intima media thickness and prevalence of "non-dipper" patients.

  10. Effects of ice massage of the head and spine on heart rate variability in healthy volunteers.

    PubMed

    Mooventhan, A; Nivethitha, L

    2016-07-01

    Ice massage (IM) is one of the treatment procedures used in hydrotherapy. Though its various physiological/therapeutic effects have been reported, effects of IM of the head and spine on heart rate variability (HRV) have not been studied. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of IM of the head and spine on HRV in healthy volunteers. Thirty subjects were randomly divided into 3 sessions: (1) IM, (2) tap water massage (TWM) and (3) prone rest (PR). Heart rate (HR) and HRV were assessed before and after each intervention session. A significant increase in the mean of the intervals between adjacent QRS complexes or the instantaneous HR (RRI), square root of mean of sum of squares of differences between adjacent normal to normal (NN) intervals (RMSSD), number of interval differences of successive NN intervals greater than 50 milliseconds (NN50), proportion derived by dividing NN50 by total number of NN intervals along with significant reduction in HR after IM session; significant increase in RRI along with significant reduction in HR after TWM, and a significant increase only in RMSSD after PR were observed. However, there was no significant difference between the sessions. Results of this study suggest that 20 min of IM of the head and spine is effective in reducing HR and improving HRV through vagal dominance in healthy volunteers.

  11. Loss of Intralipid®- but Not Sevoflurane-Mediated Cardioprotection in Early Type-2 Diabetic Hearts of Fructose-Fed Rats: Importance of ROS Signaling

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Liyan; Affolter, Andreas; Gandhi, Manoj; Hersberger, Martin; Warren, Blair E.; Lemieux, Hélène; Sobhi, Hany F.; Clanachan, Alexander S.; Zaugg, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Background Insulin resistance and early type-2 diabetes are highly prevalent. However, it is unknown whether Intralipid® and sevoflurane protect the early diabetic heart against ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods Early type-2 diabetic hearts from Sprague-Dawley rats fed for 6 weeks with fructose were exposed to 15 min of ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion. Intralipid® (1%) was administered at the onset of reperfusion. Peri-ischemic sevoflurane (2 vol.-%) served as alternative protection strategy. Recovery of left ventricular function was recorded and the activation of Akt and ERK 1/2 was monitored. Mitochondrial function was assessed by high-resolution respirometry and mitochondrial ROS production was measured by Amplex Red and aconitase activity assays. Acylcarnitine tissue content was measured and concentration-response curves of complex IV inhibition by palmitoylcarnitine were obtained. Results Intralipid® did not exert protection in early diabetic hearts, while sevoflurane improved functional recovery. Sevoflurane protection was abolished by concomitant administration of the ROS scavenger N-2-mercaptopropionyl glycine. Sevoflurane, but not Intralipid® produced protective ROS during reperfusion, which activated Akt. Intralipid® failed to inhibit respiratory complex IV, while sevoflurane inhibited complex I. Early diabetic hearts exhibited reduced carnitine-palmitoyl-transferase-1 activity, but palmitoylcarnitine could not rescue protection and enhance postischemic functional recovery. Cardiac mitochondria from early diabetic rats exhibited an increased content of subunit IV-2 of respiratory complex IV and of uncoupling protein-3. Conclusions Early type-2 diabetic hearts lose complex IV-mediated protection by Intralipid® potentially due to a switch in complex IV subunit expression and increased mitochondrial uncoupling, but are amenable to complex I-mediated sevoflurane protection. PMID:25127027

  12. Algorithm for heart rate extraction in a novel wearable acoustic sensor

    PubMed Central

    Imtiaz, Syed Anas; Aguilar–Pelaez, Eduardo; Rodriguez–Villegas, Esther

    2015-01-01

    Phonocardiography is a widely used method of listening to the heart sounds and indicating the presence of cardiac abnormalities. Each heart cycle consists of two major sounds – S1 and S2 – that can be used to determine the heart rate. The conventional method of acoustic signal acquisition involves placing the sound sensor at the chest where this sound is most audible. Presented is a novel algorithm for the detection of S1 and S2 heart sounds and the use of them to extract the heart rate from signals acquired by a small sensor placed at the neck. This algorithm achieves an accuracy of 90.73 and 90.69%, with respect to heart rate value provided by two commercial devices, evaluated on more than 38 h of data acquired from ten different subjects during sleep in a pilot clinical study. This is the largest dataset for acoustic heart sound classification and heart rate extraction in the literature to date. The algorithm in this study used signals from a sensor designed to monitor breathing. This shows that the same sensor and signal can be used to monitor both breathing and heart rate, making it highly useful for long-term wearable vital signs monitoring. PMID:26609401

  13. Spatiotemporal Permutation Entropy as a Measure for Complexity of Cardiac Arrhythmia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlemmer, Alexander; Berg, Sebastian; Lilienkamp, Thomas; Luther, Stefan; Parlitz, Ulrich

    2018-05-01

    Permutation entropy (PE) is a robust quantity for measuring the complexity of time series. In the cardiac community it is predominantly used in the context of electrocardiogram (ECG) signal analysis for diagnoses and predictions with a major application found in heart rate variability parameters. In this article we are combining spatial and temporal PE to form a spatiotemporal PE that captures both, complexity of spatial structures and temporal complexity at the same time. We demonstrate that the spatiotemporal PE (STPE) quantifies complexity using two datasets from simulated cardiac arrhythmia and compare it to phase singularity analysis and spatial PE (SPE). These datasets simulate ventricular fibrillation (VF) on a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional medium using the Fenton-Karma model. We show that SPE and STPE are robust against noise and demonstrate its usefulness for extracting complexity features at different spatial scales.

  14. Caffeine Consumption and Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Response to Regadenoson

    PubMed Central

    Bitar, Abbas; Mastouri, Ronald; Kreutz, Rolf P.

    2015-01-01

    Background Current guidelines recommend that caffeinated products should be avoided for at least 12 hours prior to regadenoson administration. We intended to examine the effect of caffeine consumption and of timing of last dose on hemodynamic effects after regadenoson administration for cardiac stress testing. Methods 332 subjects undergoing regadenoson stress testing were enrolled. Baseline characteristics, habits of coffee/caffeine exposure, baseline vital signs and change in heart rate, blood pressure, percent of maximal predicted heart rate, and percent change in heart rate were prospectively collected. Results Non-coffee drinkers (group 1) (73 subjects) and subjects who last drank coffee >24 hours (group 3) (139 subjects) prior to regadenoson did not demonstrate any difference in systolic blood pressure, heart rate change, maximal predicted heart rate and percent change in heart rate. Systolic blood pressure change (15.2±17.1 vs. 7.2±10.2 mmHg, p = 0.001), heart rate change (32.2±14 vs. 27.3±9.6 bpm, p = 0.038) and maximal predicted heart rate (65.5±15.6 vs. 60.7±8.6%, p = 0.038) were significantly higher in non-coffee drinkers (group 1) compared to those who drank coffee 12–24 hours prior (group 2) (108 subjects). Subjects who drank coffee >24 hours prior (group 3) exhibited higher systolic blood pressure change (13±15.8 vs. 7±10.2, p = 0.007), and heart rate change (32.1±15.3 vs. 27.3±9.6, p = 0.017) as compared to those who drank coffee 12–24 hours prior to testing (group 2). Conclusions Caffeine exposure 12–24 hours prior to regadenoson administration attenuates the vasoactive effects of regadenoson, as evidenced by a blunted rise in heart rate and systolic blood pressure. These results suggest that caffeine exposure within 24 hours may reduce the effects of regadenoson administered for vasodilatory cardiac stress testing. PMID:26098883

  15. Ordinal pattern statistics for the assessment of heart rate variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Graff, G.; Graff, B.; Kaczkowska, A.; Makowiec, D.; Amigó, J. M.; Piskorski, J.; Narkiewicz, K.; Guzik, P.

    2013-06-01

    The recognition of all main features of a healthy heart rhythm (the so-called sinus rhythm) is still one of the biggest challenges in contemporary cardiology. Recently the interesting physiological phenomenon of heart rate asymmetry has been observed. This phenomenon is related to unbalanced contributions of heart rate decelerations and accelerations to heart rate variability. In this paper we apply methods based on the concept of ordinal pattern to the analysis of electrocardiograms (inter-peak intervals) of healthy subjects in the supine position. This way we observe new regularities of the heart rhythm related to the distribution of ordinal patterns of lengths 3 and 4.

  16. Multi-complexity ensemble measures for gait time series analysis: application to diagnostics, monitoring and biometrics.

    PubMed

    Gavrishchaka, Valeriy; Senyukova, Olga; Davis, Kristina

    2015-01-01

    Previously, we have proposed to use complementary complexity measures discovered by boosting-like ensemble learning for the enhancement of quantitative indicators dealing with necessarily short physiological time series. We have confirmed robustness of such multi-complexity measures for heart rate variability analysis with the emphasis on detection of emerging and intermittent cardiac abnormalities. Recently, we presented preliminary results suggesting that such ensemble-based approach could be also effective in discovering universal meta-indicators for early detection and convenient monitoring of neurological abnormalities using gait time series. Here, we argue and demonstrate that these multi-complexity ensemble measures for gait time series analysis could have significantly wider application scope ranging from diagnostics and early detection of physiological regime change to gait-based biometrics applications.

  17. Rate of change of heart size before congestive heart failure in dogs with mitral regurgitation.

    PubMed

    Lord, P; Hansson, K; Kvart, C; Häggström, J

    2010-04-01

    The objective of the study was to examine the changes in vertebral heart scale, and left atrial and ventricular dimensions before and at onset of congestive heart failure in cavalier King Charles spaniels with mitral regurgitation. Records and radiographs from 24 cavalier King Charles spaniels with mitral regurgitation were used. Vertebral heart scale (24 dogs), and left atrial dimension and left ventricular end diastolic and end systolic diameters (18 dogs) and their rate of increase were measured at intervals over years to the onset of congestive heart failure. They were plotted against time to onset of congestive heart failure. Dimensions and rates of change of all parameters were highest at onset of congestive heart failure, the difference between observed and chance outcome being highly significant using a two-tailed chi-square test (P<0.001). The left heart chambers increase in size rapidly only in the last year before the onset of congestive heart failure. Increasing left ventricular end systolic dimension is suggestive of myocardial failure before the onset of congestive heart failure. Rate of increase of heart dimensions may be a useful indicator of impending congestive heart failure.

  18. Heart rate never lies: interventional cardiologist and Braude's quote revised

    PubMed Central

    Cook, Stéphane; Stauffer, Jean-Christophe; Goy, Jean-Jacques; Graf, Denis; Puricel, Serban; Frobert, Aurélien; Muller, Olivier; Togni, Mario; Arroyo, Diego

    2016-01-01

    Background Interventional cardiologists may be immune to stress, allowing them to perform complex percutaneous interventions under pressure. Objectives To assess heart rate (HR) variations as a surrogate marker of stress of interventional cardiologists during percutaneous cardiac procedures and in every-day life. Design This is a single-centre observational study including a total of six male interventional cardiologists performing coronary interventions and pacemaker implantations. Participants were asked to record their HR with the Apple Watch Device during procedures, every-day life and control activities such as outpatient consultations, sport, marital conflicts and sexual intercourse. Results Average daily HR was 88±17 bpm. During work days, HR increased significantly during procedures (90±17 bpm) compared with days outside the cathlab (87±17 bpm, p=0.02). The average HR was higher during a regular week working (88±16 bpm) compared with weekends off (84±18 bpm, p=0.002). Complex cardiac procedures were associated with higher HR up to 122 bpm. Peak HR were higher during physical exertion. Of note, participants complained of hypersexuality and mania after night shifts. Conclusions Work and especially percutaneous cardiac procedures increase HR independently of physical exertion suggesting that interventional cardiologists experience mental stress and emotions. PMID:26835145

  19. Heart rate never lies: interventional cardiologist and Braude's quote revised.

    PubMed

    Cook, Stéphane; Stauffer, Jean-Christophe; Goy, Jean-Jacques; Graf, Denis; Puricel, Serban; Frobert, Aurélien; Muller, Olivier; Togni, Mario; Arroyo, Diego

    2016-01-01

    Interventional cardiologists may be immune to stress, allowing them to perform complex percutaneous interventions under pressure. To assess heart rate (HR) variations as a surrogate marker of stress of interventional cardiologists during percutaneous cardiac procedures and in every-day life. This is a single-centre observational study including a total of six male interventional cardiologists performing coronary interventions and pacemaker implantations. Participants were asked to record their HR with the Apple Watch Device during procedures, every-day life and control activities such as outpatient consultations, sport, marital conflicts and sexual intercourse. Average daily HR was 88±17 bpm. During work days, HR increased significantly during procedures (90±17 bpm) compared with days outside the cathlab (87±17 bpm, p=0.02). The average HR was higher during a regular week working (88±16 bpm) compared with weekends off (84±18 bpm, p=0.002). Complex cardiac procedures were associated with higher HR up to 122 bpm. Peak HR were higher during physical exertion. Of note, participants complained of hypersexuality and mania after night shifts. Work and especially percutaneous cardiac procedures increase HR independently of physical exertion suggesting that interventional cardiologists experience mental stress and emotions.

  20. Dominant Lyapunov exponent and approximate entropy in heart rate variability during emotional visual elicitation

    PubMed Central

    Valenza, Gaetano; Allegrini, Paolo; Lanatà, Antonio; Scilingo, Enzo Pasquale

    2012-01-01

    In this work we characterized the non-linear complexity of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in short time series. The complexity of HRV signal was evaluated during emotional visual elicitation by using Dominant Lyapunov Exponents (DLEs) and Approximate Entropy (ApEn). We adopted a simplified model of emotion derived from the Circumplex Model of Affects (CMAs), in which emotional mechanisms are conceptualized in two dimensions by the terms of valence and arousal. Following CMA model, a set of standardized visual stimuli in terms of arousal and valence gathered from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) was administered to a group of 35 healthy volunteers. Experimental session consisted of eight sessions alternating neutral images with high arousal content images. Several works can be found in the literature showing a chaotic dynamics of HRV during rest or relax conditions. The outcomes of this work showed a clear switching mechanism between regular and chaotic dynamics when switching from neutral to arousal elicitation. Accordingly, the mean ApEn decreased with statistical significance during arousal elicitation and the DLE became negative. Results showed a clear distinction between the neutral and the arousal elicitation and could be profitably exploited to improve the accuracy of emotion recognition systems based on HRV time series analysis. PMID:22393320

  1. Procedural Pain Heart Rate Responses in Massaged Preterm Infants

    PubMed Central

    Diego, Miguel A.; Field, Tiffany; Hernandez-Reif, Maria

    2009-01-01

    Heart rate (HR) responses to the removal of a monitoring lead were assessed in 56 preterm infants who received moderate pressure, light pressure or no massage therapy. The infants who received moderate pressure massage therapy exhibited lower increases in HR suggesting an attenuated pain response. The heart rate of infants who received moderate pressure massage also returned to baseline faster than the heart rate of the other two groups, suggesting a faster recovery rate. PMID:19185352

  2. Tachycardia | Fast Heart Rate

    MedlinePlus

    ... sinoatrial (SA) node --- the heart's natural pacemaker. A series of early beats in the atria speeds up the heart rate. The rapid heartbeat does not allow enough time for the heart to fill before it contracts ...

  3. Deriving temperature and age appropriate heart rate centiles for children with acute infections.

    PubMed

    Thompson, M; Harnden, A; Perera, R; Mayon-White, R; Smith, L; McLeod, D; Mant, D

    2009-05-01

    To describe the reference range for heart rate in children aged 3 months-10 years presenting to primary care with self-limiting infections. Cross-sectional study of children presenting to primary care with suspected acute infection. Heart rate was measured using a pulse oximeter and axillary temperature using an electronic thermometer. Centile charts of heart rates expected at given temperatures for children with self-limiting infections were calculated. Ten general practice surgeries and two out-of-hours centres in England. 1933 children presenting with suspected acute infections were recruited from in-hours general practice surgeries (1050 or 54.3%) or out-of-hours centres (883 or 45.7%). After excluding children who subsequently attended hospital and those without a final diagnosis of acute infection, 1589 children were used to create the centile charts of whom (859 or 54.1%) had upper respiratory tract infections and (215 or 13.5%) non-specific viral illness. Median, 75th, 90th and 97th centiles of heart rate at each temperature level. Heart rate increased by 9.9-14.1 bpm with each 1 degrees C increment in temperature. The 50th, 75th, 90th and 97th centiles of heart rate at each temperature level are presented graphically. Age-specific centile charts of heart rates expected at different temperatures should be used by clinicians in the initial assessment of children with acute infections. The charts will identify children who have a heart rate higher than expected for a given temperature and facilitate the interpretation of changes in heart rate on reassessment. Further research on the predictive value of the centile charts is needed to optimise their diagnostic utility.

  4. Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure in Division I Field Hockey Players During Competitive Play.

    PubMed

    Sell, Katie M; Ledesma, Allison B

    2016-08-01

    Sell, KM and Ledesma, AB. Heart rate and energy expenditure in Division I field hockey players during competitive play. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2122-2128, 2016-The purpose of this study was to quantify energy expenditure and heart rate data for Division I female field hockey players during competitive play. Ten female Division I collegiate field hockey athletes (19.8 ± 1.6 years; 166.4 ± 6.1 cm; 58.2 ± 5.3 kg) completed the Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test to determine maximal heart rate. One week later, all subjects wore a heart rate monitor during a series of 3 matches in an off-season competition. Average heart rate (AvHR), average percentage of maximal heart rate (AvHR%), peak exercise heart rate (PExHR), and percentage of maximal heart rate (PExHR%), time spent in each of the predetermined heart rate zones, and caloric expenditure per minute of exercise (kcalM) were determined for all players. Differences between positions (backs, midfielders, and forwards) were assessed. No significant differences in AvHR, AvHR%, PExHR, PExHR%, and %TM were observed between playing positions. The AvHR% and PExHR% for each position fell into zones 4 (77-93% HRmax) and 5 (>93% HRmax), respectively, and significantly more time was spent in zone 4 compared with zones 1, 2, 3, and 5 across all players (p ≤ 0.05). The kcalM reflected very heavy intensity exercise. The results of this study will contribute toward understanding the sport-specific physiological demands of women's field hockey and has specific implications for the duration and schedule of training regimens.

  5. Optimal Body Temperature in Transitional ELBW Infants Using Heart Rate and Temperature as Indicators

    PubMed Central

    Knobel, Robin B.; Holditch-Davis, Diane; Schwartz, Todd A.

    2013-01-01

    Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are vulnerable to cold stress after birth. Therefore, caregivers need to control body temperature optimally to minimize energy expenditure. Objective We explored body temperature in relationship to heart rate in ELBW infants during their first 12 hours to help identify the ideal set point for incubator control of body temperature. Design Within subject, multiple-case design. Setting A tertiary NICU in North Carolina. Participants 10 infants, born less than 29 weeks gestation and weighing 400-1000 grams. Methods Heart rate and abdominal body temperature were measured at 1-minute intervals for 12 hours. Heart rates were considered normal if they were between the 25th and 75th percentile for each infant. Results Abdominal temperatures were low throughout the 12-hour study period (mean 35.17° C-36.68° C). Seven of ten infants had significant correlations between abdominal temperature and heart rate. Heart rates above the 75th percentile were associated with low and high abdominal temperatures; heart rates less than the 25th percentile were associated with very low abdominal temperatures. The extent to which abdominal temperature was abnormally low was related the extent to which the heart rate trended away from normal in six of the ten infants. Optimal temperature control point that maximized normal heart rate observations for each infant was between 36.8° C and 37° C. Conclusions Hypothermia was associated with abnormal heart rates in transitional ELBW infants. We suggest nurses set incubator servo between 36.8° C and 36.9° C to optimally control body temperature for ELBW infants. PMID:20409098

  6. Acute effects of Finnish sauna and cold-water immersion on haemodynamic variables and autonomic nervous system activity in patients with heart failure.

    PubMed

    Radtke, Thomas; Poerschke, Daniel; Wilhelm, Matthias; Trachsel, Lukas D; Tschanz, Hansueli; Matter, Friederike; Jauslin, Daniel; Saner, Hugo; Schmid, Jean-Paul

    2016-04-01

    The haemodynamic response to Finnish sauna and subsequent cold-water immersion in heart failure patients is unknown. Haemodynamic response to two consecutive Finnish sauna (80℃) exposures, followed by a final head-out cold-water immersion (12℃) was measured in 37 male participants: chronic heart failure (n = 12, 61.8 ± 9.2 years), coronary artery disease (n = 13, 61.2 ± 10.6 years) and control subjects (n = 12, 60.9 ± 8.9 years). Cardiac output was measured non-invasively with an inert gas rebreathing method prior to and immediately after the first sauna exposure and after cold-water immersion, respectively. Blood pressure was measured before, twice during and after sauna. The autonomic nervous system was assessed by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Total power, low-frequency and high-frequency components were evaluated. The low frequency/high frequency ratio was used as a marker of sympathovagal balance. Sauna and cold-water immersion were well tolerated by all subjects. Cardiac output and heart rate significantly increased in all groups after sauna and cold-water immersion (p < 0.05), except for coronary artery disease patients after sauna exposure. Systolic blood pressure during sauna decreased significantly in all groups with a nadir after 6 min (all p < 0.05). Cold-water immersion significantly increased systolic blood pressure in all groups (p < 0.05). No change in the low/high frequency ratio was found in chronic heart failure patients. In coronary artery disease patients and controls a prolonged increase in low frequency/high frequency ratio was observed after the first sauna exposure. Acute exposure to Finnish sauna and cold-water immersion causes haemodynamic alterations in chronic heart failure patients similarly to control subjects and in particular did not provoke an excessive increase in adrenergic activity or complex arrhythmias. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

  7. Heart failure - home monitoring

    MedlinePlus

    ... you lose a lot of weight. Checking Your Heart Rate and Pulse Know what your normal pulse rate ... may give you special equipment to check your heart rate. Checking Your Blood Pressure Your provider may ask ...

  8. Apgar score

    MedlinePlus

    ... infant cries well, the respiratory score is 2. Heart rate is evaluated by stethoscope. This is the most important assessment: If there is no heartbeat, the infant scores 0 for heart rate. If heart rate is less than 100 ...

  9. Effect of suprachiasmatic lesions on diurnal heart rate rhythm in the rat

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saleh, M. A.; Winget, C. M.

    1977-01-01

    Heart rate and locomotor activity of rats kept under 12L/12D illumination regimen were recorded every six minutes for ten days using implantable radio transmitters. Some of the rats then received bilateral RF lesions into the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Control sham operations were performed on the rest of the animals. After recovery from surgery, recording of heart rate and locomotor activity was continued for ten days. SCN-lesioned rats showed no significant diurnal fluctuation in heart rate, while normal and sham-operated rats showed the normal diurnal rhythm in that function. The arrhythmic diurnal heart-rate pattern of SCN rats appeared to be correlated with their sporadic activity pattern. The integrity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus is therefore necessary for the generation and/or expression of diurnal rhythmicity in heart rate in the rat.

  10. Can heart rate predict blood pressure response to anti-hypertensive drug therapy?

    PubMed

    Owens, P E; Lyons, S; O'Brien, E

    1998-04-01

    The use of heart rate in clinical practice is limited by its variability under measurement situations. The mean heart rate on ambulatory monitoring provides a more robust statistic for clinical use. We examined the relationship between mean heart rate on initial referral ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to the BP-lowering efficacy of the four main groups of anti-hypertensive medications, in a referral hypertensive population. Patients were retrospectively identified by review of the BP database, and data collected from the initial referral BP monitor off medication, and the subsequent ABPM after treatment with either beta-blockers, diuretics, calcium antagonists or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. The change in mean arterial BP from the initial to the subsequent ABPM (ie, as a result of treatment) was correlated with the mean heart rate on the initial ABPM. A moderate association was found for initial daytime heart rate and BP response to beta-blockers (r = 0.24, P = 0.02), and ACE inhibitors (r = 0.14, P = 0.05). No such association was found for calcium antagonists or diuretics. When the groups were divided into those with a mean daytime heart rate <75 and > or =75 beats per min, BP reduction from beta-blocker and ACE inhibitor therapy was significantly greater in those patients with a higher daytime heart rate. We conclude that average daytime heart rate on pre-treatment ABPM can be useful as a predictor of BP response to beta-blockade or ACE inhibition.

  11. Effect of Heart Rate on Arterial Stiffness as Assessed by Pulse Wave Velocity.

    PubMed

    Tan, Isabella; Butlin, Mark; Spronck, Bart; Xiao, Huanguang; Avolio, Alberto

    2017-07-24

    Vascular assessment is becoming increasingly important in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. In particular, clinical assessment of arterial stiffness, as measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), is gaining increased interest due to the recognition of PWV as an influential factor on the prognosis of hypertension as well as being an independent predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Whilst age and blood pressure are established as the two major determinants of PWV, the influence of heart rate on PWV measurements remains controversial with conflicting results being observed in both acute and epidemiological studies. In a majority of studies investigating the acute effects of heart rate on PWV, results were confounded by concomitant changes in blood pressure. Observations from epidemiological studies have also failed to converge, with approximately just half of such studies reporting a significant blood-pressure-independent association between heart rate and PWV. Further to the lack of consensus on the effects of heart rate on PWV, the possible mechanisms contributing to observed PWV changes with heart rate have yet to be fully elucidated, although many investigators have attributed heart-rate related changes in arterial stiffness to the viscoelasticity of the arterial wall. With elevated heart rate being an independent prognostic factor of cardiovascular disease and its association with hypertension, the interaction between heart rate and PWV continues to be relevant in assessing cardiovascular risk. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  12. iHeartLift: a closed loop system with bio-feedback that uses music tempo variability to improve heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Ho, Thomas C T; Chen, Xiang

    2011-01-01

    "Musica delenit bestiam feram" translates into "Music soothes the savage beast". There is a hidden truth in this ancient quip passed down from generations. Besides soothing the heart, it also incites the heart to a healthier level of heart rate variability (HRV). In this paper, an approach to use and test music and biofeedback to increase the heart rate variability for people facing daily stress is discussed. By determining the music tempo variability (MTV) of a piece of music and current heart rate variability, iHeartLift is able to compare the 2 trends and locate a musical piece that is suited to increase the user's heart rate variability to a healthier level. With biofeedback, the 2 trends are continuously compared in real-time and the musical piece is changed in accordance with the current comparisons. A study was conducted and it was generally found that HRV can be uplifted by music regardless of language and meaning of musical lyrics but with limitations to musical genre.

  13. [Is iron important in heart failure?].

    PubMed

    Murín, Ján; Pernický, Miroslav

    2015-01-01

    Iron deficiency is a frequent comorbidity in a patient with chronic heart failure, and it associates with a worse pro-gnosis of that patient. Mainly worse quality of life and more rehospitalizations are in these iron deficient patients. Iron metabolism is rather complex and there is some new information concerning this complexity in heart failure. We distinquish an absolute and a functional iron deficiency in heart failure. It is this deficit which is important and not as much is anemia important here. Prevalence of anaemia in heart failure is about 30-50 %, higher it is in patients suffering more frequently heart failure decompensations. Treatment of iron deficiency is important and it improves prognosis of these patients. Most experiences there are with i.v. iron treatment (FERRIC HF, FAIR HF and CONFIRM HF studies), less so with per oral treatment. There are no clinical trials which analysed mortality influences. heart failure - iron metabolism in heart failure - prevalence of iron deficit - treatment of iron deficiency in heart failure.

  14. Voluntary control of breathing does not alter vagal modulation of heart rate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patwardhan, A. R.; Evans, J. M.; Bruce, E. N.; Eckberg, D. L.; Knapp, C. F.

    1995-01-01

    Variations in respiratory pattern influence the heart rate spectrum. It has been suggested, hence, that metronomic respiration should be used to correctly assess vagal modulation of heart rate by using spectral analysis. On the other hand, breathing to a metronome has been reported to increase heart rate spectral power in the high- or respiratory frequency region; this finding has led to the suggestion that metronomic respiration enhances vagal tone or alters vagal modulation of heart rate. To investigate whether metronomic breathing complicates the interpretation of heart rate spectra by altering vagal modulation, we recorded the electrocardiogram and respiration from eight volunteers during three breathing trials of 10 min each: 1) spontaneous breathing (mean rate of 14.4 breaths/min); 2) breathing to a metronome at the rate of 15, 18, and 21 breaths/min for 2, 6, and 2 min, respectively; and 3) breathing to a metronome at the rate of 18 breaths/min for 10 min. Data were also collected from eight volunteers who breathed spontaneously for 20 min and breathed metronomically at each subject's mean spontaneous breathing frequency for 20 min. Results from the three 10-min breathing trials showed that heart rate power in the respiratory frequency region was smaller during metronomic breathing than during spontaneous breathing. This decrease could be explained fully by the higher breathing frequencies used during trials 2 and 3 of metronomic breathing. When the subjects breathed metronomically at each subject's mean breathing frequency, the heart rate powers during metronomic breathing were similar to those during spontaneous breathing. Our results suggest that vagal modulation of heart rate is not altered and vagal tone is not enhanced during metronomic breathing.

  15. Running wavelet archetype aids the determination of heart rate from the video photoplethysmogram during motion.

    PubMed

    Addison, Paul S; Foo, David M H; Jacquel, Dominique

    2017-07-01

    The extraction of heart rate from a video-based biosignal during motion using a novel wavelet-based ensemble averaging method is described. Running Wavelet Archetyping (RWA) allows for the enhanced extraction of pulse information from the time-frequency representation, from which a video-based heart rate (HRvid) can be derived. This compares favorably to a reference heart rate derived from a pulse oximeter.

  16. Heart rate reactivity and current post-traumatic stress disorder when data are missing.

    PubMed

    Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Tucker, Phebe; Pfefferbaum, Betty; North, Carol S; de Andrade, Bernardo Borba; Neas, Barbara

    2011-08-01

    This study demonstrates that auxiliary and exclusion criteria variables increase the effectiveness of missing imputation in correcting underestimation of physiologic reactivity in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by deleting cases with missing physiologic data. This study used data from survivors of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and imputed missing heart rate data using auxiliary and exclusion criteria variables. Logistic regression was used to examine heart rate reactivity in relation to current PTSD. Of 113 survivors who participated in the bombing study's 7-year follow-up interview, 42 (37%) had missing data on heart rate reactivity due to exclusion criteria (medical illness or use of cardiovascular or psychotropic medications) or non-participation. Logistic regression results based on imputed heart rate data using exclusion criteria and auxiliary (the presence of any current PTSD arousal symptoms) variables showed that survivors with current bombing-related PTSD had significantly higher heart rates at baseline and recovered more slowly back to baseline heart rate during resting periods than survivors without current PTSD, while results based on complete cases failed to show significant correlations between current PTSD and heart rates at any assessment points. Suggested methods yielded an otherwise undetectable link between physiology and current PTSD. © 2011 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2011 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

  17. Relationships between heart rate and age, bodyweight and breed in 10,849 dogs.

    PubMed

    Hezzell, M J; Dennis, S G; Humm, K; Agee, L; Boswood, A

    2013-06-01

    To evaluate relationships between heart rate and clinical variables in healthy dogs and dogs examined at a referral hospital. Clinical data were extracted from the electronic patient records of a first opinion group (5000 healthy dogs) and a referral hospital (5849 dogs). Univariable and multi-variable general linear models were used to assess associations between heart rate and clinical characteristics. Separate multi-variable models were constructed for first opinion and referral populations. In healthy dogs, heart rate was negatively associated with bodyweight (P<0.001) but was higher in Chihuahuas. The mean difference in heart rate between a 5 and 55 kg dog was 10.5 beats per minute. In dogs presenting to a referral hospital, heart rate was negatively associated with bodyweight (P<0.001) and the following breeds; border collie, golden retriever, Labrador retriever, springer spaniel and West Highland white terrier and positively associated with age, admitting service (emergency and critical care, emergency first opinion and cardiology) and the following breeds; Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Staffordshire bull terrier and Yorkshire terrier. Bodyweight, age, breed and disease status all influence heart rate in dogs, although these factors account for a relatively small proportion of the overall variability in heart rate. © 2013 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

  18. Triboelectric Nanogenerator Enabled Body Sensor Network for Self-Powered Human Heart-Rate Monitoring.

    PubMed

    Lin, Zhiming; Chen, Jun; Li, Xiaoshi; Zhou, Zhihao; Meng, Keyu; Wei, Wei; Yang, Jin; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2017-09-26

    Heart-rate monitoring plays a critical role in personal healthcare management. A low-cost, noninvasive, and user-friendly heart-rate monitoring system is highly desirable. Here, a self-powered wireless body sensor network (BSN) system is developed for heart-rate monitoring via integration of a downy-structure-based triboelectric nanogenerator (D-TENG), a power management circuit, a heart-rate sensor, a signal processing unit, and Bluetooth module for wireless data transmission. By converting the inertia energy of human walking into electric power, a maximum power of 2.28 mW with total conversion efficiency of 57.9% was delivered at low operation frequency, which is capable of immediately and sustainably driving the highly integrated BSN system. The acquired heart-rate signal by the sensor would be processed in the signal process circuit, sent to an external device via the Bluetooth module, and displayed on a personal cell phone in a real-time manner. Moreover, by combining a TENG-based generator and a TENG-based sensor, an all-TENG-based wireless BSN system was developed, realizing continuous and self-powered heart-rate monitoring. This work presents a potential method for personal heart-rate monitoring, featured as being self-powered, cost-effective, noninvasive, and user-friendly.

  19. Heart rate and treatment effect in children with disruptive behavior disorders.

    PubMed

    Stadler, Christina; Grasmann, Dörte; Fegert, Jörg M; Holtmann, Martin; Poustka, Fritz; Schmeck, Klaus

    2008-09-01

    To examine whether children with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs; hyperkinetic conduct disorder, conduct disorder, hyperkinetic disorder) characterized by low heart rate profit less from an intensive cognitive behavioral intervention aimed at reducing impulsive, oppositional and aggressive behavior problems. Basal heart rate was studied in twenty-three children (aged 7-12 years) with DBD at the beginning of intervention comprising an intensive day-care treatment and parent training. The disruptive behavior of the child was assessed before treatment and after termination (12 weeks later). Therapy responders and non-responders were compared in regard to heart rate and other risk factors (cognitive functioning and socio-economic status). Statistical analyses yielded evidence for a significant reduction of disruptive problem behaviors (aggression, delinquency) that is more prominent in DBD children with high heart rate scores compared to patients with low heart rate scores. Heart rate was significantly lower in children who did not profit from therapy. A logistic regression analysis revealed that heart rate is a significant predictor for therapy success whereas other risk factors had no impact on therapy success. Further studies investigating biological and psychosocial predictors of treatment effectiveness are necessary. In addition, it might be helpful to consider different subtypes of aggressive behavior for selecting the best possible treatment options.

  20. Prolongation of heart rate-corrected QT interval is a predictor of cardiac autonomic dysfunction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    PubMed

    Nomura, Atsushi; Kishimoto, Mitsumasa; Takahashi, Osamu; Deshpande, Gautam A; Yamaguchi, Kenichi; Okada, Masato

    2014-05-01

    Heart rate-corrected QT interval duration (QTc) has been shown to be related to cardiac autonomic dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus, although this association has not been previously described in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 91 SLE patients and 144 non-SLE connective tissue disease patients visiting our clinic from November 2010 to April 2011. We compared ambulatory heart rate identified by pulse measured by automated machine in an outpatient waiting area versus resting heart rate identified on prior screening electrocardiogram. Heart rate differences were analyzed in relation to QTc interval and other characteristics. Ambulatory and resting heart rate differences were larger among SLE patients with QTc prolongation (QTc > 430 ms) than those without QTc prolongation (mean difference, 15.9 vs. 9.6, p = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, differences in heart rate were associated with QTc prolongation (OR 1.10, 95 % CI 1.01-1.21; p = 0.038), independent of age, duration of disease, immunosuppressant use, hydroxychloroquine use, diabetes mellitus, cardiac abnormality, anti-Ro/SS-A antibody positivity, or resting heart rate. Cardiac autonomic dysfunction is a common manifestation of SLE and may be related to QTc prolongation.

  1. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT)

    MedlinePlus

    PSVT; Supraventricular tachycardia; Abnormal heart rhythm - PSVT; Arrhythmia - PSVT; Rapid heart rate - PSVT; Fast heart rate - PSVT ... Normally, the chambers of the heart (atria and ventricles) contract in ... are caused by an electrical signal that begins in an area ...

  2. Variability in Cadence During Forced Cycling Predicts Motor Improvement in Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease

    PubMed Central

    Ridgel, Angela L.; Abdar, Hassan Mohammadi; Alberts, Jay L.; Discenzo, Fred M.; Loparo, Kenneth A.

    2014-01-01

    Variability in severity and progression of Parkinson’s disease symptoms makes it challenging to design therapy interventions that provide maximal benefit. Previous studies showed that forced cycling, at greater pedaling rates, results in greater improvements in motor function than voluntary cycling. The precise mechanism for differences in function following exercise is unknown. We examined the complexity of biomechanical and physiological features of forced and voluntary cycling and correlated these features to improvements in motor function as measured by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Heart rate, cadence, and power were analyzed using entropy signal processing techniques. Pattern variability in heart rate and power were greater in the voluntary group when compared to forced group. In contrast, variability in cadence was higher during forced cycling. UPDRS Motor III scores predicted from the pattern variability data were highly correlated to measured scores in the forced group. This study shows how time series analysis methods of biomechanical and physiological parameters of exercise can be used to predict improvements in motor function. This knowledge will be important in the development of optimal exercise-based rehabilitation programs for Parkinson’s disease. PMID:23144045

  3. Conjoined twins: morphogenesis of the heart and a review.

    PubMed

    Gilbert-Barness, Enid; Debich-Spicer, Diane; Opitz, John M

    2003-08-01

    Five cases of conjoined twins have been studied. These included three thoracopagus twins, one monocephalus diprosopus (prosop = face), and one dicephalus dipus dibrachus. The thoracopagus twins were conjoined only from the upper thorax to the umbilicus with a normal foregut. These three cases shared a single complex multiventricular heart, one with a four chambered heart with one atrium and one ventricle belonging to each twin with complex venous and arterial connection; two had a seven chambered heart with four atria and three ventricles. The mono-cephalus diprosopus twins had a single heart with tetralogy of Fallot. The dicephalus twins had two separate axial skeletons to the sacrum, two separate hearts were connected between the right atria with a shared inferior vena cava. Thoracopagus twinning is associated with complex cardiac malformations. The cardiac anlagen in cephalopagus or diprosopus are diverted and divided along with the entire rostral end of the embryonic disc and result in two relatively normal shared hearts. However, in thoracopagus twins the single heart is multiventricular and suggests very early union with fusion of the cardiac anlagen before significant differentiation. Cardiac morphogenesis in conjoined twins therefore appears to depend on the site of the conjoined fusion and the temporal and spatial influence that determines morphogenesis as well as abnormally oriented embryonic axes. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  4. Temporal and inter-task consistency of heart rate reactivity during active psychological challenge: a twin study.

    PubMed

    Turner, J R; Carroll, D; Sims, J; Hewitt, J K; Kelly, K A

    1986-01-01

    Heart rate was monitored while 22 pairs of young male monozygotic and 29 pairs of young male dizygotic twins were exposed to a video game and a mental arithmetic task. The heart rate reactions of the monozygotic twins showed much greater concordance than those of the dizygotic twins. Analysis of the data for the 102 individuals demonstrated reliable inter-task consistency of heart rate reaction. In addition, comparison of the heart rate reactions of ten pairs of monozygotic and ten pairs of dizygotic twins who had been tested more than a year earlier and their present reactivities revealed impressive temporal consistency.

  5. Left Ventricular Assist Devices

    PubMed Central

    2004-01-01

    Executive Summary Objective The objective of this health technology policy assessment was to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using implantable ventricular assist devices in the treatment of end-stage heart failure. Heart Failure Heart failure is a complex syndrome that impairs the ability of the heart to maintain adequate blood circulation, resulting in multiorgan abnormalities and, eventually, death. In the period of 1994 to 1997, 38,702 individuals in Ontario had a first hospital admission for heart failure. Despite reported improvement in survival, the five-year mortality rate for heart failure is about 50%. For patients with end-stage heart failure that does not respond to medical therapy, surgical treatment or traditional circulatory assist devices, heart transplantation (in appropriate patients) is the only treatment that provides significant patient benefit. Heart Transplant in Ontario With a shortage in the supply of donor hearts, patients are waiting longer for a heart transplant and may die before a donor heart is available. From 1999 to 2003, 55 to 74 people received a heart transplant in Ontario each year. Another 12 to 21 people died while waiting for a suitable donor heart. Of these, 1 to 5 deaths occurred in people under 18 years old. The rate-limiting factor in heart transplant is the supply of donor hearts. Without an increase in available donor hearts, attempts at prolonging the life of some patients on the transplant wait list could have a harmful effect on other patients that are being pushed down the waiting list (knock on effect). LVAD Technology Ventricular assist devices [VADs] have been developed to provide circulatory assistance to patients with end-stage heart failure. These are small pumps that usually assist the damaged left ventricle [LVADs] and may be situated within the body (intracorporeal] or outside the body [extracorporeal). Some of these devices were designed for use in the right ventricle [RVAD] or both ventricles (bi-ventricular). LVADs have been mainly used as a “bridge-to-transplant” for patients on a transplant waiting list. As well, they have been used as a “bridge-to-recovery” in acute heart failure, but this experience is limited. There has been an increasing interest in using LVAD as a permanent (destination) therapy. Review of LVAD by the Medical Advisory Secretariat The Medical Advisory Secretariat’s review included a descriptive synthesis of findings from five systematic reviews and 60 reports published between January 2000 and December 2003. Additional information was obtained through consultation and by searching the websites of Health Canada, the United Network of Organ Sharing, Organ Donation Ontario, and LVAD manufacturers. Summary of Findings Safety and Effectiveness Previous HTAs and current Level 3 evidence from prospective non-randomized controlled studies showed that when compared to optimal medical therapy, LVAD support significantly improved the pre-transplant survival rates of heart transplant candidates waiting for a suitable donor heart (71% for LVAD and 36% for medical therapy). Pre-transplant survival rates reported ranged from 58% to 90% (median 74%). Improved transplant rates were also reported for people who received pre-transplant LVAD support (e.g. 67% for LVAD vs 33% for medical therapy). Reported transplant rates for LVAD patients ranged from 39% to 90% (median 71%). Patient’s age greater than 60 years and pre-existing conditions of respiratory failure associated with septicemia, ventilation, and right heart failure were independent risk factors for mortality after the LVAD implantation. LVAD support was shown to improve the New York Heart Association [NYHA)] functional classification and quality of life of patients waiting for heart transplant. LVAD also enabled approximately 41% - 49% of patients to be discharged from hospitals and wait for a heart transplant at home. However, over 50% of the discharged patients required re-hospitalization due to adverse events. Post-transplant survival rates for LVAD-bridged patients were similar to or better than the survival rates of patients bridged by medical therapy. LVAD support has been associated with serious adverse events, including infection (median 53%, range 6%–72%), bleeding (8.6%–48%, median 35%), thromboembolism (5%–37%), neurologic disorders (7%–28%), right ventricular failure (11%–26%), organ dysfunction (5%–50%) and hemolysis (6%–20%). Bleeding tends to occur in the first few post-implant days and is rare thereafter. It is fatal in 2%–7% of patients. Infection and thromboembolism occurred throughout the duration of the implant, though their frequency tended to diminish with time. Device malfunction has been identified as one of the major complications. Fatalities directly attributable to the devices were about 1% in short-term LVAD use. However, mechanical failure was the second most frequent cause of death in patients on prolonged LVAD support. Malfunctions were mainly associated with the external components, and often could be replaced by backed up components. LVAD has been used as a bridge-to-recovery in patients suffering from acute cardiogenic shock due to cardiomyopathy, myocarditis or cardiotomy. The survival rates were reported to be lower than in bridge-to-transplant (median 26%). Some of the bridge-to-recovery patients (14%–75%) required a heart transplant or remained on prolonged LVAD support. According to an expert in the field, experience with LVAD as a bridge-to-recovery technology has been more favourable in Germany than in North America, where it is not regarded as a major indication since evidence for its effectiveness in this setting is limited. LVAD has also been explored as a destination therapy. A small, randomized, controlled trial (level 2 evidence) showed that LVAD significantly increased the 1-year survival rate of patients with end-stage heart failure but were not eligible for a heart transplant (51% LVAD vs 25% for medical therapy). However, improved survival was associated with adverse events 2.35 times higher than medically treated patients and a higher hospital re-admission rate. The 2-year survival rate on LVAD decreased to 23%, although it was still significantly better compared to patients on medical therapy (8%). The leading causes of deaths were sepsis (41%) and device failure (17%). The FDA has given conditional approval for the permanent use of HeartMate SNAP VE LVAS in patients with end-stage heart failure who are not eligible for heart transplantation, although the long-term effect of this application is not known. In Canada, four LVAD systems have been licensed for bridge-to-transplant only. The use of LVAD support raises ethical issues because of the implications of potential explantation that could be perceived as a withdrawal of life support. Potential Impact on the Transplant Waiting List With the shortage of donor hearts for adults, LVAD support probably would not increase the number of patients who receive a heart transplant. If LVAD supported candidates are prioritized for urgent heart transplant, there will be a knock on effect as other transplant candidates without LVAD support would be pushed down, resulting in longer wait, deterioration in health status and die before a suitable donor heart becomes available. Under the current policy for allocating donor hearts in Ontario, patients on LVAD support would be downgraded to Status 3 with a lower priority to receive a transplant. This would likely result in an expansion of the transplant waiting list with an increasing number of patients on prolonged LVAD support, which is not consistent with the indication of LVAD use approved by Health Canada. There is indication in the United Kingdom that LVAD support in conjunction with an urgent transplant listing in the pediatric population may decrease the number of deaths on the waiting list without a harmful knock-on effect on other transplant candidates. Conclusion LVAD support as a bridge-to-transplant has been shown to improve the survival rate, functional status and quality of life of patients on the heart transplant waiting list. However, due to the shortage of donor hearts and the current heart transplant algorithm, LVAD support for transplant candidates of all age groups would likely result in an expansion of the waiting list and prolonged use of LVAD with significant budget implications but without increasing the number of heart transplants. Limited level 4 evidence showed that LVAD support in children yielded survival rates comparable to those in the adult population. The introduction of LVAD in the pediatric population would be more cost-effective and might not have a negative effect on the transplant waiting list. PMID:23074453

  6. Resonance of about-weekly human heart rate rhythm with solar activity change.

    PubMed

    Cornelissen, G; Halberg, F; Wendt, H W; Bingham, C; Sothern, R B; Haus, E; Kleitman, E; Kleitman, N; Revilla, M A; Revilla, M; Breus, T K; Pimenov, K; Grigoriev, A E; Mitish, M D; Yatsyk, G V; Syutkina, E V

    1996-12-01

    In several human adults, certain solar activity rhythms may influence an about 7-day rhythm in heart rate. When no about-weekly feature was found in the rate of change in sunspot area, a measure of solar activity, the double amplitude of a circadian heart rate rhythm, approximated by the fit of a 7-day cosine curve, was lower, as was heart rate corresponds to about-weekly features in solar activity and/or relates to a sunspot cycle.

  7. Bradycardia

    MedlinePlus

    ... Easily tiring during physical activity When a slow heart rate is normal A resting heart rate slower than 60 beats a minute is normal ... often starts in the sinus node. A slow heart rate might occur because the sinus node: Discharges electrical ...

  8. Effect of Stimulation of Neurotransmitter Systems on Heart Rate Variability and β-Adrenergic Responsiveness of Erythrocytes in Outbred Rats.

    PubMed

    Kur'yanova, E V; Tryasuchev, A V; Stupin, V O; Teplyi, D L

    2017-05-01

    We studied heart rate variability and β-adrenergic responsiveness of erythrocytes and changes in these parameters in response to single administration of β-adrenoblocker propranolol (2 mg/kg) in outbred male rats against the background of activation of the noradrenergic, serotonergic, and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems achieved by 4-fold injections maprotiline (10 mg/kg), 5-hydroxytryptophan (50 mg/kg) combined with fluoxetine (3 mg/kg), and L-DOPA (20 mg/kg) with amantadine (20 mg/kg), respectively. Stimulation of the noradrenergic system moderately enhanced the heart rhythm rigidity and β-adrenergic responsiveness of erythrocytes. In addition, it markedly augmented the moderating effect of subsequently administered propranolol on LF and VLF components in the heart rate variability and reversed the effect of propranolol on β-adrenergic responsiveness of erythrocytes. Stimulation of the serotonergic system dramatically decreased all components in the heart rate variability and pronouncedly enhanced β-adrenergic responsiveness of erythrocytes. Subsequent injection of propranolol slightly restored all components in the heart rate variability and decreased β-adrenergic responsiveness of erythrocytes to the control level. Stimulation of the dopaminergic system made the heart rate more rigid due to decrease of all components in the heart rate variability; in addition, it slightly but significantly enhanced β-adrenergic responsiveness of erythrocytes. Subsequent injection of propranolol produced no significant effects on all components in the heart rate variability and on β-adrenergic responsiveness of erythrocytes. Stimulation of noradrenergic, serotonergic, and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems produced unidirectional and consorted effects on heart rate variability and β-adrenergic responsiveness of erythrocytes, although the magnitudes of these effects were different. Probably, the changes in the heart rate variability in rats with stimulated neurotransmitter systems results from modification of the cellular sensitivity in peripheral organs to adrenergic influences. However, the differences in the reactions to β-adrenoblocker attest to specificity of the mechanisms underlying the changes in membrane reception and adrenergic pathways in every experimental model employed in this study.

  9. Heart rate and ischemic stroke: the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

    PubMed

    O'Neal, Wesley T; Qureshi, Waqas T; Judd, Suzanne E; Meschia, James F; Howard, Virginia J; Howard, George; Soliman, Elsayed Z

    2015-12-01

    The association between resting heart rate and ischemic stroke remains unclear. To examine the association between resting heart rate and ischemic stroke. A total of 24 730 participants (mean age: 64 ± 9·3 years; 59% women; 41% blacks) from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study who were free of stroke at the time of enrollment (2003-2007) were included in this analysis. Resting heart rate was determined from baseline electrocardiogram data. Heart rate was examined as a continuous variable per 10 bpm increase and also as a categorical variable using tertiles ( <61 bpm, 61 to 70 bpm, and >70 bpm). First-time ischemic stroke events were identified during follow-up and adjudicated by physician review. Over a median follow-up of 7·6 years, a total of 646 ischemic strokes occurred. In a Cox regression model adjusted for socio-demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and potential confounders, each 10 bpm increase in heart rate was associated with a 10% increase in the risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio = 1·10, 95% confidence interval = 1·02, 1·18). In the categorical model, an increased risk of ischemic stroke was observed for heart rates in the middle (hazard ratio = 1·29, 95% confidence interval = 1·06, 1·57) and upper (hazard ratio = 1·37, 95% confidence interval = 1·12, 1·67) tertiles compared with the lower tertile. The results were consistent when the analysis was stratified by age, gender, race, exercise habits, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. In REGARDS, high resting heart rates were associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke compared with low heart rates. Further research is needed to examine whether interventions aimed to reduce heart rate decrease stroke risk. © 2015 World Stroke Organization.

  10. [Congenital heart disease mortality in Spain during a 10 year period (2003-2012)].

    PubMed

    Pérez-Lescure Picarzo, Javier; Mosquera González, Margarita; Latasa Zamalloa, Pello; Crespo Marcos, David

    2018-05-01

    Congenital heart disease is a major cause of infant mortality in developed countries. In Spain, there are no publications at national level on mortality due to congenital heart disease. The aim of this study is to analyse mortality in infants with congenital heart disease, lethality of different types of congenital heart disease, and their variation over a ten-year period. A retrospective observational study was performed to evaluate mortality rate of children under one year old with congenital heart disease, using the minimum basic data set, from 2003 to 2012. Mortality rate and relative risk of mortality were estimated by Poisson regression. There were 2,970 (4.58%) infant deaths in a population of 64,831 patients with congenital heart disease, with 73.8% of deaths occurring during first week of life. Infant mortality rate in patients with congenital heart disease was 6.23 per 10,000 live births, and remained constant during the ten-year period of the study, representing 18% of total infant mortality rate in Spain. The congenital heart diseases with highest mortality rates were hypoplastic left heart syndrome (41.4%), interruption of aortic arch (20%), and total anomalous pulmonary drainage (16.8%). Atrial septal defect (1%) and pulmonary stenosis (1.1%) showed the lowest mortality rate. Congenital heart disease was a major cause of infant mortality with no variations during the study period. The proportion of infants who died in our study was similar to other similar countries. In spite of current medical advances, some forms of congenital heart disease show very high mortality rates. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  11. Comparison of three methods to identify the anaerobic threshold during maximal exercise testing in patients with chronic heart failure.

    PubMed

    Beckers, Paul J; Possemiers, Nadine M; Van Craenenbroeck, Emeline M; Van Berendoncks, An M; Wuyts, Kurt; Vrints, Christiaan J; Conraads, Viviane M

    2012-02-01

    Exercise training efficiently improves peak oxygen uptake (V˙O2peak) in patients with chronic heart failure. To optimize training-derived benefit, higher exercise intensities are being explored. The correct identification of anaerobic threshold is important to allow safe and effective exercise prescription. During 48 cardiopulmonary exercise tests obtained in patients with chronic heart failure (59.6 ± 11 yrs; left ventricular ejection fraction, 27.9% ± 9%), ventilatory gas analysis findings and lactate measurements were collected. Three technicians independently determined the respiratory compensation point (RCP), the heart rate turning point (HRTP) and the second lactate turning point (LTP2). Thereafter, exercise intensity (target heart rate and workload) was calculated and compared between the three methods applied. Patients had significantly reduced maximal exercise capacity (68% ± 21% of predicted V˙O2peak) and chronotropic incompetence (74% ± 7% of predicted peak heart rate). Heart rate, workload, and V˙O2 at HRTP and at RCP were not different, but at LTP2, these parameters were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher. Mean target heart rate and target workload calculated using the LTP2 were 5% and 12% higher compared with those calculated using HRTP and RCP, respectively. The calculation of target heart rate based on LTP2 was 5% and 10% higher in 12 of 48 (25%) and 6 of 48 (12.5%) patients, respectively, compared with the other two methods. In patients with chronic heart failure, RCP and HRTP, determined during cardiopulmonary exercise tests, precede the occurrence of LTP2. Target heart rates and workloads used to prescribe tailored exercise training in patients with chronic heart failure based on LTP2 are significantly higher than those derived from HRTP and RCP.

  12. The limits of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring in the prevention of neonatal metabolic acidemia.

    PubMed

    Clark, Steven L; Hamilton, Emily F; Garite, Thomas J; Timmins, Audra; Warrick, Philip A; Smith, Samuel

    2017-02-01

    Despite intensive efforts directed at initial training in fetal heart rate interpretation, continuing medical education, board certification/recertification, team training, and the development of specific protocols for the management of abnormal fetal heart rate patterns, the goals of consistently preventing hypoxia-induced fetal metabolic acidemia and neurologic injury remain elusive. The purpose of this study was to validate a recently published algorithm for the management of category II fetal heart rate tracings, to examine reasons for the birth of infants with significant metabolic acidemia despite the use of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring, and to examine critically the limits of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring in the prevention of neonatal metabolic acidemia. The potential performance of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring under ideal circumstances was evaluated in an outcomes-blinded examination fetal heart rate tracing of infants with metabolic acidemia at birth (base deficit, >12) and matched control infants (base deficit, <8) under the following conditions: (1) expert primary interpretation, (2) use of a published algorithm that was developed and endorsed by a large group of national experts, (3) assumption of a 30-minute period of evaluation for noncritical category II fetal heart rate tracings, followed by delivery within 30 minutes, (4) evaluation without the need to provide patient care simultaneously, and (5) comparison of results under these circumstances with those achieved in actual clinical practice. During the study period, 120 infants were identified with an arterial cord blood base deficit of >12 mM/L. Matched control infants were not demographically different from subjects. In actual practice, operative intervention on the basis of an abnormal fetal heart rate tracings occurred in 36 of 120 fetuses (30.0%) with metabolic acidemia. Based on expert, algorithm-assisted reviews, 55 of 120 patients with acidemia (45.8%) were judged to need operative intervention for abnormal fetal heart rate tracings. This difference was significant (P=.016). In infants who were born with a base deficit of >12 mM/L in which blinded, algorithm-assisted expert review indicated the need for operative delivery, the decision for delivery would have been made an average of 131 minutes before the actual delivery. The rate of expert intervention for fetal heart rate concerns in the nonacidemic control group (22/120; 18.3%) was similar to the actual intervention rate (23/120; 19.2%; P=1.0) Expert review did not mandate earlier delivery in 65 of 120 patients with metabolic acidemia. The primary features of these 65 cases included the occurrence of sentinel events with prolonged deceleration just before delivery, the rapid deterioration of nonemergent category II fetal heart rate tracings before realistic time frames for recognition and intervention, and the failure of recognized fetal heart rate patterns such as variability to identify metabolic acidemia. Expert, algorithm-assisted fetal heart rate interpretation has the potential to improve standard clinical performance by facilitating significantly earlier recognition of some tracings that are associated with metabolic acidemia without increasing the rate of operative intervention. However, this improvement is modest. Of infants who are born with metabolic acidemia, only approximately one-half potentially could be identified and have delivery expedited even under ideal circumstances, which are probably not realistic in current US practice. This represents the limits of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring performance. Additional technologies will be necessary if the goal of the prevention of neonatal metabolic acidemia is to be realized. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Heart Rate Detection During Sleep Using a Flexible RF Resonator and Injection-Locked PLL Sensor.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sung Woo; Choi, Soo Beom; An, Yong-Jun; Kim, Byung-Hyun; Kim, Deok Won; Yook, Jong-Gwan

    2015-11-01

    Novel nonintrusive technologies for wrist pulse detection have been developed and proposed as systems for sleep monitoring using three types of radio frequency (RF) sensors. The three types of RF sensors for heart rate measurement on wrist are a flexible RF single resonator, array resonators, and an injection-locked PLL resonator sensor. To verify the performance of the new RF systems, we compared heart rates between presleep time and postsleep onset time. Heart rates of ten subjects were measured using the RF systems during sleep. All three RF devices detected heart rates at 0.2 to 1 mm distance from the skin of the wrist over clothes made of cotton fabric. The wrist pulse signals of a flexible RF single resonator were consistent with the signals obtained by a portable piezoelectric transducer as a reference. Then, we confirmed that the heart rate after sleep onset time significantly decreased compared to before sleep. In conclusion, the RF system can be utilized as a noncontact nonintrusive method for measuring heart rates during sleep.

  14. Electronic fetal heart rate monitoring and its relationship to neonatal and infant mortality in the United States.

    PubMed

    Chen, Han-Yang; Chauhan, Suneet P; Ananth, Cande V; Vintzileos, Anthony M; Abuhamad, Alfred Z

    2011-06-01

    To examine the association between electronic fetal heart rate monitoring and neonatal and infant mortality, as well as neonatal morbidity. We used the United States 2004 linked birth and infant death data. Multivariable log-binomial regression models were fitted to estimate risk ratio for association between electronic fetal heart rate monitoring and mortality, while adjusting for potential confounders. In 2004, 89% of singleton pregnancies had electronic fetal heart rate monitoring. Electronic fetal heart rate monitoring was associated with significantly lower infant mortality (adjusted relative risk, 0.75); this was mainly driven by the lower risk of early neonatal mortality (adjusted relative risk, 0.50). In low-risk pregnancies, electronic fetal heart rate monitoring was associated with decreased risk for Apgar scores <4 at 5 minutes (relative risk, 0.54); in high-risk pregnancies, with decreased risk of neonatal seizures (relative risk, 0.65). In the United States, the use of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring was associated with a substantial decrease in early neonatal mortality and morbidity that lowered infant mortality. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. The fractal heart — embracing mathematics in the cardiology clinic

    PubMed Central

    Captur, Gabriella; Karperien, Audrey L.; Hughes, Alun D.; Francis, Darrel P.; Moon, James C.

    2017-01-01

    For clinicians grappling with quantifying the complex spatial and temporal patterns of cardiac structure and function (such as myocardial trabeculae, coronary microvascular anatomy, tissue perfusion, myocyte histology, electrical conduction, heart rate, and blood-pressure variability), fractal analysis is a powerful, but still underused, mathematical tool. In this Perspectives article, we explain some fundamental principles of fractal geometry and place it in a familiar medical setting. We summarize studies in the cardiovascular sciences in which fractal methods have successfully been used to investigate disease mechanisms, and suggest potential future clinical roles in cardiac imaging and time series measurements. We believe that clinical researchers can deploy innovative fractal solutions to common cardiac problems that might ultimately translate into advancements for patient care. PMID:27708281

  16. Fractal mechanisms and heart rate dynamics. Long-range correlations and their breakdown with disease

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peng, C. K.; Havlin, S.; Hausdorff, J. M.; Mietus, J. E.; Stanley, H. E.; Goldberger, A. L.

    1995-01-01

    Under healthy conditions, the normal cardiac (sinus) interbeat interval fluctuates in a complex manner. Quantitative analysis using techniques adapted from statistical physics reveals the presence of long-range power-law correlations extending over thousands of heartbeats. This scale-invariant (fractal) behavior suggests that the regulatory system generating these fluctuations is operating far from equilibrium. In contrast, it is found that for subjects at high risk of sudden death (e.g., congestive heart failure patients), these long-range correlations break down. Application of fractal scaling analysis and related techniques provides new approaches to assessing cardiac risk and forecasting sudden cardiac death, as well as motivating development of novel physiologic models of systems that appear to be heterodynamic rather than homeostatic.

  17. Application of machine learning techniques to analyse the effects of physical exercise in ventricular fibrillation.

    PubMed

    Caravaca, Juan; Soria-Olivas, Emilio; Bataller, Manuel; Serrano, Antonio J; Such-Miquel, Luis; Vila-Francés, Joan; Guerrero, Juan F

    2014-02-01

    This work presents the application of machine learning techniques to analyse the influence of physical exercise in the physiological properties of the heart, during ventricular fibrillation. To this end, different kinds of classifiers (linear and neural models) are used to classify between trained and sedentary rabbit hearts. The use of those classifiers in combination with a wrapper feature selection algorithm allows to extract knowledge about the most relevant features in the problem. The obtained results show that neural models outperform linear classifiers (better performance indices and a better dimensionality reduction). The most relevant features to describe the benefits of physical exercise are those related to myocardial heterogeneity, mean activation rate and activation complexity. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. High resource use among adult congenital heart surgery admissions in adult hospitals: risk factors and association with death and comorbidities.

    PubMed

    Bhatt, Ami B; Rajabali, Alefiyah; He, Wei; Benavidez, Oscar J

    2015-01-01

    Adult hospitals are a common location of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) admissions, including cardiac surgical admissions. Understanding the patterns and predictors of resource use could aid these institutions by identifying and targeting potentially modifiable determinants of high resource use (HRU). Our objectives were to examine resource use during adult congenital heart surgical admissions in adult hospitals, determine the association of HRU with mortality, and identify risk factors for HRU. Population-based retrospective study We obtained data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2005-2009 and examined ACHD surgical admissions ages 18-49 years (n = 16 231). We defined HRU as admissions with >90th percentile for total hospital charges. Despite representing 10% of admissions, HRU admissions accounted for 32% of total charges. HRU admissions had a higher mortality rate (9.7% vs. 1.8%, P < .001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that HRU is associated with government insurance adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6,2.4), emergency admissions AOR 3.9 (95% CI 3.1,4.8), complications AOR 4.2 (95% CI 3.3,5.2), renal failure AOR 1.8 (95% CI 1.4,2.2), congestive heart failure AOR 1.2 (95% CI 1,1.4), surgical complexity risk category-2 AOR 2.0 (95% CI 1.0,3.6), and category-3+ AOR 2.3 (95% CI 1.4,3.8). HRU admissions for adult congenital heart surgery consumed a disproportionate amount of resources and were associated with higher mortality. HRU risk factors included nonelective admissions, government insurance, heart failure, surgical complexity, renal failure, and complications. Complications, if preventable, may be a target for improvement strategies to decrease resource use. Other risk factors may require a broader patient care approach. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Increased sodium/calcium exchanger activity enhances beta-adrenergic-mediated increase in heart rate: Whole-heart study in a homozygous sodium/calcium exchanger overexpressor mouse model.

    PubMed

    Kaese, Sven; Bögeholz, Nils; Pauls, Paul; Dechering, Dirk; Olligs, Jan; Kölker, Katharina; Badawi, Sascha; Frommeyer, Gerrit; Pott, Christian; Eckardt, Lars

    2017-08-01

    The cardiac sodium/calcium (Na + /Ca 2+ ) exchanger (NCX) contributes to diastolic depolarization in cardiac pacemaker cells. Increased NCX activity has been found in heart failure and atrial fibrillation. The influence of increased NCX activity on resting heart rate, beta-adrenergic-mediated increase in heart rate, and cardiac conduction properties is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of NCX overexpression in a homozygous transgenic whole-heart mouse model (NCX-OE) on sinus and AV nodal function. Langendorff-perfused, beating whole hearts of NCX-OE and the corresponding wild-type (WT) were studied ± isoproterenol (ISO; 0.2 μM). Epicardial ECG, AV nodal Wenckebach cycle length (AVN-WCL), and retrograde AVN-WCL were obtained. At baseline, basal heart rate was unaltered between NCX-OE and WT (WT: cycle length [CL] 177.6 ± 40.0 ms, no. of hearts [n] = 20; NCX-OE: CL 185.9 ± 30.5 ms, n = 18; P = .21). In the presence of ISO, NCX-OE exhibited a significantly higher heart rate compared to WT (WT: CL 133.4 ± 13.4 ms, n = 20; NCX-OE: CL 117.7 ± 14.2 ms, n = 18; P <.001). ISO led to a significant shortening of the anterograde and retrograde AVN-WCL without differences between NCX-OE and WT. This study is the first to demonstrate that increased NCX activity enhances beta-adrenergic increase of heart rate. Mechanistically, increased NCX inward mode activity may promote acceleration of diastolic depolarization in sinus nodal pacemaker cells, thus enhancing chronotropy in NCX-OE. These findings suggest a novel potential therapeutic target for heart rate control in the presence of increased NCX activity, such as heart failure. Copyright © 2017 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. T wave alternans during exercise and atrial pacing in humans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hohnloser, S. H.; Klingenheben, T.; Zabel, M.; Li, Y. G.; Albrecht, P.; Cohen, R. J.

    1997-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Evidence is accumulating that microvolt T wave alternans (TWA) is a marker of increased risk for ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Initially, atrial pacing was used to elevate heart rate and elicit TWA. More recently, a noninvasive approach has been developed that elevates heart rate using exercise. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 30 consecutive patients with a history of ventricular tachyarrhythmias, the spectral method was used to detect TWA during both atrial pacing and submaximal exercise testing. The concordance rate for the presence or absence of TWA using the two measurement methods was 84%. There was a patient-specific heart rate threshold for the detection of TWA that averaged 100 +/- 14 beats/min during exercise compared with 97 +/- 9 beats/min during right atrial pacing (P = NS). Beyond this threshold, there was a significant and comparable increase in level of TWA with decreasing pacing cycle length and increasing exercise heart rates. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the first to demonstrate that microvolt TWA can be assessed reliably and noninvasively during exercise stress. There is a patient-specific heart rate threshold beyond which TWA continues to increase with increasing heart rates. Heart rate thresholds for the onset of TWA measured during atrial pacing and exercise stress were comparable, indicating that heart rate alone appears to be the main factor of determining the onset of TWA during submaximal exercise stress.

  1. Mitochondrial phenotype during torpor: Modulation of mitochondrial electron transport system in the Chilean mouse-opossum Thylamys elegans.

    PubMed

    Cortes, Pablo A; Bozinovic, Francisco; Blier, Pierre U

    2018-07-01

    Mammalian torpor is a phenotype characterized by a controlled decline of metabolic rate, generally followed by a reduction in body temperature. During arousal from torpor, both metabolic rate and body temperature rapidly returns to resting levels. Metabolic rate reduction experienced by torpid animals is triggered by active suppression of mitochondrial respiration, which is rapidly reversed during rewarming process. In this study, we analyzed the changes in the maximal activity of key enzymes related to electron transport system (complexes I, III and IV) in six tissues of torpid, arousing and euthermic Chilean mouse-opossums (Thylamys elegans). We observed higher maximal activities of complexes I and IV during torpor in brain, heart and liver, the most metabolically active organs in mammals. On the contrary, higher enzymatic activities of complexes III were observed during torpor in kidneys and lungs. Moreover, skeletal muscle was the only tissue without significant differences among stages in all complexes evaluated, suggesting no modulation of oxidative capacities of electron transport system components in this thermogenic tissue. In overall, our data suggest that complexes I and IV activity plays a major role in initiation and maintenance of metabolic suppression during torpor in Chilean mouse-opossum, whereas improvement of oxidative capacities in complex III might be critical to sustain metabolic machinery in organs that remains metabolically active during torpor. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Heart Rate and Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

    PubMed

    Lam, Phillip H; Dooley, Daniel J; Deedwania, Prakash; Singh, Steven N; Bhatt, Deepak L; Morgan, Charity J; Butler, Javed; Mohammed, Selma F; Wu, Wen-Chih; Panjrath, Gurusher; Zile, Michael R; White, Michel; Arundel, Cherinne; Love, Thomas E; Blackman, Marc R; Allman, Richard M; Aronow, Wilbert S; Anker, Stefan D; Fonarow, Gregg C; Ahmed, Ali

    2017-10-10

    A lower heart rate is associated with better outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (EF). Less is known about this association in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The aims of this study were to examine associations of discharge heart rate with outcomes in hospitalized patients with HFpEF. Of the 8,873 hospitalized patients with HFpEF (EF ≥50%) in the Medicare-linked OPTIMIZE-HF (Organized Program to Initiate Lifesaving Treatment in Hospitalized Patients with Heart Failure) registry, 6,286 had a stable heart rate, defined as ≤20 beats/min variation between admission and discharge. Of these, 2,369 (38%) had a discharge heart rate of <70 beats/min. Propensity scores for discharge heart rate <70 beats/min, estimated for each of the 6,286 patients, were used to assemble a cohort of 2,031 pairs of patients with heart rate <70 versus ≥70 beats/min, balanced on 58 baseline characteristics. The 4,062 matched patients had a mean age of 79 ± 10 years, 66% were women, and 10% were African American. During 6 years (median 2.8 years) of follow-up, all-cause mortality was 65% versus 70% for matched patients with a discharge heart rate <70 versus ≥70 beats/min, respectively (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80 to 0.93; p < 0.001). A heart rate <70 beats/min was also associated with a lower risk for the combined endpoint of HF readmission or all-cause mortality (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.84 to 0.96; p = 0.002), but not with HF readmission (HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.85 to 1.01) or all-cause readmission (HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.95 to 1.08). Similar associations were observed regardless of heart rhythm or receipt of beta-blockers. Among hospitalized patients with HFpEF, a lower discharge heart rate was independently associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, but not readmission. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  3. Diphenylhydantoin and lidocaine modification of A-V conduction in halothane-anesthetized dogs.

    PubMed

    Atlee, J L; Homer, L D; Tobey, R E

    1975-07-01

    The effect of halothane on A-V conduction was evaluated in gods during atrial pacing using the technique of His-bundle electrocardiography. In addition, the effects of lidocaine and diphenylkydantoin (DPH) on A-V conuction were examined during halothane anesthesia. Effects of these drugs on three subintervals of A-V conduction were compared. These included the -H (stimulus atifact of His-bundle deflection-atrioventricular conduction), H-Q (His-budnle deflection onset of QRS complex-His-Purkinje conduction), and H-S intervals(His-bundle delfection to end of QRS COmplex-total intraventricular conduction). Linear regression best described the relationship between duration of interval (P-H, H-V,and H-S) and heart rate during incremental increases in the atrial paced rate. Data from these experiments were fitted to a multiple lenear regression model that predicted the effect of increasing concentrations of halothan, lidocaine, and DPH on slope and intercept coefficients. In creasing concentrations of halothan ( 30 and 45 mg/100 ml arterial). Both lidocaine and DPH further depressed conduction at all levels of halothan anesthesia. The P-H interval was particularly sensitive todrug effefts. This may represent potentiation of the normal slowing of conduction through the AVnode in response to incremental increases in heart rate (fatigue response.) We conclude thatboth lidocaine and DPH fail to reverse the depressant effect of halothane on A-V conduction. This may explain their ineffectiveness in treating certain types of arrhythmias during halothane anesthesia.

  4. Incorporating Comorbidity Within Risk Adjustment for UK Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.

    PubMed

    Brown, Katherine L; Rogers, Libby; Barron, David J; Tsang, Victor; Anderson, David; Tibby, Shane; Witter, Thomas; Stickley, John; Crowe, Sonya; English, Kate; Franklin, Rodney C; Pagel, Christina

    2017-07-01

    When considering early survival rates after pediatric cardiac surgery it is essential to adjust for risk linked to case complexity. An important but previously less well understood component of case mix complexity is comorbidity. The National Congenital Heart Disease Audit data representing all pediatric cardiac surgery procedures undertaken in the United Kingdom and Ireland between 2009 and 2014 was used to develop and test groupings for comorbidity and additional non-procedure-based risk factors within a risk adjustment model for 30-day mortality. A mixture of expert consensus based opinion and empiric statistical analyses were used to define and test the new comorbidity groups. The study dataset consisted of 21,838 pediatric cardiac surgical procedure episodes in 18,834 patients with 539 deaths (raw 30-day mortality rate, 2.5%). In addition to surgical procedure type, primary cardiac diagnosis, univentricular status, age, weight, procedure type (bypass, nonbypass, or hybrid), and era, the new risk factor groups of non-Down congenital anomalies, acquired comorbidities, increased severity of illness indicators (eg, preoperative mechanical ventilation or circulatory support) and additional cardiac risk factors (eg, heart muscle conditions and raised pulmonary arterial pressure) all independently increased the risk of operative mortality. In an era of low mortality rates across a wide range of operations, non-procedure-based risk factors form a vital element of risk adjustment and their presence leads to wide variations in the predicted risk of a given operation. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Heart rate turbulence after ventricular premature beats in healthy Doberman pinschers and those with dilated cardiomyopathy.

    PubMed

    Harris, J D; Little, C J L; Dennis, J M; Patteson, M W

    2017-10-01

    To describe the measurement of heart rate turbulence (HRT) after ventricular premature beats and compare HRT in healthy Doberman pinschers and those with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), with and without congestive heart failure (CHF). Sixty-five client-owned Dobermans: 20 healthy (NORMAL), 31 with preclinical DCM and 14 with DCM and CHF (DCM + CHF). A retrospective study of data retrieved from clinical records and ambulatory ECG (Holter) archives, including data collected previously for a large-scale prospective study of Dobermans with preclinical DCM. Holter data were reanalysed quantitatively, including conventional time-domain heart rate variability and the HRT parameters turbulence onset and turbulence slope. Heart rate turbulence could be measured in 58/65 dogs. Six Holter recordings had inadequate ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) and one exhibited VPCs too similar to sinus morphology. Heart rate turbulence parameter, turbulence onset, was significantly reduced in DCM dogs, whereas conventional heart rate variability measures were not. Heart rate variability and HRT markers were reduced in DCM + CHF dogs as expected. Heart rate turbulence can be measured from the majority of good quality standard canine 24-hour Holter recordings with >5 VPCs. Turbulence onset is significantly reduced in Dobermans with preclinical DCM which indicates vagal withdrawal early in the course of disease. Heart rate turbulence is a powerful prognostic indicator in human cardiac disease which can be measured from standard 24-hour ambulatory ECG (Holter) recordings using appropriate computer software. Further studies are warranted to assess whether HRT may be of prognostic value in dogs with preclinical DCM and in other canine cardiac disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Management of Pregnancy in Patients With Complex Congenital Heart Disease: A Scientific Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association.

    PubMed

    Canobbio, Mary M; Warnes, Carole A; Aboulhosn, Jamil; Connolly, Heidi M; Khanna, Amber; Koos, Brian J; Mital, Seema; Rose, Carl; Silversides, Candice; Stout, Karen

    2017-02-21

    Today, most female children born with congenital heart disease will reach childbearing age. For many women with complex congenital heart disease, carrying a pregnancy carries a moderate to high risk for both the mother and her fetus. Many such women, however, do not have access to adult congenital heart disease tertiary centers with experienced reproductive programs. Therefore, it is important that all practitioners who will be managing these women have current information not only on preconception counseling and diagnostic evaluation to determine maternal and fetal risk but also on how to manage them once they are pregnant and when to refer them to a regional center with expertise in pregnancy management. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  7. Blockade of hyperpolarizing currents produces a dose-dependent effect on heart rate.

    PubMed

    Ziyatdinova, N I; Giniatullin, R A; Svyatova, N V; Zefirov, T L

    2001-03-01

    Intravenous injection of ZD 7288, a new specific hyperpolarizing current blocker, dose-dependently reduces heart rate in adult rats. The autonomic nervous system modulates changes in heart rate caused by hyperpolarizing currents.

  8. Masking of the circadian rhythms of heart rate and core temperature by the rest-activity cycle in man

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gander, Philippa H.; Connell, Linda J.; Graeber, R. Curtis

    1986-01-01

    Experiments were conducted to estimate the magnitude of the masking effect produced in humans by alternate periods of physical activity and rest or sleep on the circadian rhythms of heart rate and core temperature. The heart rate, rectal temperature, and nondominant wrist activity were monitored in 12 male subjects during 6 days of normal routine at home and during 6 days of controlled bed-rest regimen. The comparisons of averaged waveforms for the activity, heart rate, and temperature indicated that about 45 percent of the range of the circadian heart rate rhythm during normal routine and about 14 percent of the range of the circadian temperature rhythm were attributable to the effects of activity. The smaller effect of activity on the temperature rhythm may be partially attributable to the fact that core temperature is being more rigorously conserved than heart rate, at least during moderate exercise.

  9. Comparison of body composition, heart rate variability, aerobic and anaerobic performance between competitive cyclists and triathletes

    PubMed Central

    Arslan, Erşan; Aras, Dicle

    2016-01-01

    [Purpose] The aim of this study was to compare the body composition, heart rate variability, and aerobic and anaerobic performance between competitive cyclists and triathletes. [Subjects] Six cyclists and eight triathletes with experience in competitions voluntarily participated in this study. [Methods] The subjects’ body composition was measured with an anthropometric tape and skinfold caliper. Maximal oxygen consumption and maximum heart rate were determined using the incremental treadmill test. Heart rate variability was measured by 7 min electrocardiographic recording. The Wingate test was conducted to determine anaerobic physical performance. [Results] There were significant differences in minimum power and relative minimum power between the triathletes and cyclists. Anthropometric characteristics and heart rate variability responses were similar among the triathletes and cyclists. However, triathletes had higher maximal oxygen consumption and lower resting heart rates. This study demonstrated that athletes in both sports have similar body composition and aerobic performance characteristics. PMID:27190476

  10. A new method to measure heart rate with EMFi and PVDF materials.

    PubMed

    Kärki, S; Lekkala, J

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we propose a new simple method to measure the heart rate of a person sitting on a chair or lying in a bed. The heart rate is measured with a thin sensor pad consisting of separate electromechanical film (EMFi) and polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) transducers located beneath the leg of chair or bed. This study aims to evaluate the operation of the sensor system with measurements, and also to compare the results provided by the two transducer materials. Based on the results obtained here, the heart rates measured with the transducers mainly corresponded to the values of reference ECG signal. Some minor differences between the heart rate values of PVDF and EMFi appeared, especially in supine position, possible due to the material sensitivities to different force directions. However, to conclude, both materials seem to be convenient for this kind of measurement of heart rate.

  11. Accuracy of pulse oximeters in estimating heart rate at rest and during exercise.

    PubMed Central

    Iyriboz, Y; Powers, S; Morrow, J; Ayers, D; Landry, G

    1991-01-01

    Pulse oximeters are being widely used for non-invasive, simultaneous assessment of haemoglobin oxygen saturation. They are reliable, accurate, relatively inexpensive and portable. Pulse oximeters are often used for estimating heart rate at rest and during exercise. However, at present the data available to validate their use as heart rate monitors are not sufficient. We evaluated the accuracy of two oximeters (Radiometer, ear and finger probe; Ohmeda 3700, ear probe) in monitoring heart rate during incremental exercise by comparing the pulse oximeters with simultaneous ECG readings. Data were collected on eight men (713 heart rate readings) during graded cycle ergometer and treadmill exercise to volitional fatigue. Analysis by linear regression revealed that general oximeter readings significantly correlated with those of ECG (r = 0.91, P less than 0.0001). However, comparison of heart rate at each level of work showed that oximeter readings significantly (P less than 0.05) under-estimated rates above 155 beats/min. These results indicate that the use of pulse oximeters as heart rate monitors during strenuous exercise is questionable. This inaccuracy may well originate from the instability of the probes, sweating, other artefacts during exercise, and measurement of different components in the cardiovascular cycle. PMID:1777787

  12. The progressive onset of cholinergic and adrenergic control of heart rate during development in the green iguana, Iguana iguana.

    PubMed

    Sartori, Marina R; Leite, Cleo A C; Abe, Augusto S; Crossley, Dane A; Taylor, Edwin W

    2015-10-01

    The autonomic control of heart rate was studied throughout development in embryos of the green iguana, Iguana iguana by applying receptor agonists and antagonists of the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. Acetylcholine (Ach) slowed or stopped the heart and atropine antagonized the response to Ach indicating the presence of muscarinic cholinoceptors on the heart of early embryos. However, atropine injections had no impact on heart rate until immediately before hatching, when it increased heart rate by 15%. This cholinergic tonus increased to 34% in hatchlings and dropped to 24% in adult iguanas. Although epinephrine was without effect, injection of propranolol slowed the heart throughout development, indicating the presence of β-adrenergic receptors on the heart of early embryos, possibly stimulated by high levels of circulating catecholamines. The calculated excitatory tonus varied between 33% and 68% until immediately before hatching when it fell to 25% and 29%, a level retained in hatchlings and adults. Hypoxia caused a bradycardia in early embryos that was unaffected by injection of atropine indicating that hypoxia has a direct effect upon the heart. In later embryos and hatchlings hypoxia caused a tachycardia that was unaffected by injection of atropine. Subsequent injection of propranolol reduced heart rate both uncovering a hypoxic bradycardia in late embryos and abolishing tachycardia in hatchlings. Hypercapnia was without effect on heart rate in late stage embryos and in hatchlings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. [Evaluation of heart impact in the 100 m extreme intensity sport using near-infrared non-invasive muscle oxygen detecting device and sports heart rate detection technology].

    PubMed

    Wang, Pei-Yong; Long, Fei-Xiao; Fu, Lan-Ying; Li, Yue; Ding, Hai-Shu; Qu, An-Lian; Zhou, Xiao-Ping

    2010-02-01

    Using continuous two wavelength near-infrared technology to detect the variation in the consistency of oxygen hemoglobin in the muscle and the sports heart rate wireless real time collection technology, we devised the real time muscle tissue oxygenation and instantaneous heart rate experiment scheme and implemented it for the process of the 100 m run with two parameters given simultaneously. The experiment shows that the concentration of the oxygen hemoglobin in the muscle tissue continues decreasing after the end of the 100 m run, and the time interval between the moment when the concentration of the oxygen hemoglobin attains the minimum value and the moment when the athletes finish the 100 m run is (6.65 +/- 1.10) sec; while the heart rate continues increasing after the end of the 100 m run, and the time interval between the moment when the heart rate attains the maximum value and the moment when the athletes finish the 100 m run is (8.00 +/- 1.57) sec. The results show that the two wavelength near-infrared tissue oxygenation detection technology and the sports heart rate real time collection equipment can accurately measure the sports tissue oxygenation and the heart rate in the extreme intensity sport, and reveal the process of muscle oxygen transportation and consumption and its dynamic character with the heart rate in the extreme intensity sport.

  14. Critical role of mitochondrial ROS is dependent on their site of production on the electron transport chain in ischemic heart.

    PubMed

    Madungwe, Ngonidzashe B; Zilberstein, Netanel F; Feng, Yansheng; Bopassa, Jean C

    2016-01-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation has been implicated in many pathologies including ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. This led to multiple studies on antioxidant therapies to treat cardiovascular diseases but paradoxically, results have so far been mixed as ROS production can be beneficial as a signaling mechanism and in cardiac protection via preconditioning interventions. We investigated whether the differential impact of increased ROS in injury as well as in protection could be explained by their site of production on the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Using amplex red to measure ROS production, we found that mitochondria isolated from hearts after I/R produced more ROS than non-ischemic when complex I substrate (glutamate/malate) was used. Interestingly, the substrates of complex II (succinate) and ubiquinone (sn-glycerol 3-phosphate, G3P) produced less ROS in mitochondria from I/R hearts compared to normal healthy hearts. The inhibitors of complex I (rotenone) and complex III (antimycin A) increased ROS production when glutamate/malate and G3P were used; in contrast, they reduced ROS production when the complex II substrate was used. Mitochondrial calcium retention capacity required to induce mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening was measured using calcium green fluorescence and was found to be higher when mitochondria were treated with G3P and succinate compared to glutamate/malate. Furthermore, Langendorff hearts treated with glutamate/malate exhibited reduced cardiac functional recovery and increased myocardial infarct size compared to hearts treated with G3P. Thus, ROS production by the stimulated respiratory chain complexes I and III has opposite roles: cardio-deleterious when produced in complex I and cardio-protective when produced in complex III. The mechanism of these ROS involves the inhibition of the mPTP opening, a key event in cell death following ischemia/reperfusion injury.

  15. [Effect of Music Intervention on Maternal Anxiety and Fetal Heart Rate Pattern During Non-Stress Test].

    PubMed

    Oh, Myung Ok; Kim, Young Jeoum; Baek, Cho Hee; Kim, Ju Hee; Park, No Mi; Yu, Mi Jeong; Song, Han Sol

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this cross-over experimental study was to examine effects of music intervention on maternal anxiety, fetal heart rate pattern and testing time during non-stress tests (NST) for antenatal fetal assessment. Sixty pregnant women within 28 to 40 gestational weeks were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=30) or control group (n=30). Music intervention was provided to pregnant women in the experimental group during NST. Degree of maternal anxiety and fetal heart rate pattern were our primary outcomes. State-trait anxiety inventory, blood pressure, pulse rate, and changes in peripheral skin temperature were assessed to determine the degree of maternal anxiety. Baseline fetal heart rate, frequency of acceleration in fetal heart rate, fetal movement test and testing time for reactive NST were assessed to measure the fetal heart rate pattern. The experimental group showed significantly lower scores in state anxiety than the control group. There were no significant differences in systolic blood pressure and pulse rate between the two groups. Baseline fetal heart rate was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. Frequency of acceleration in fetal heart rate was significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in fetal movement and testing time for reactive NST between the two groups. Present results suggest that music intervention could be an effective nursing intervention for alel viating anxiety during non-stress test.

  16. Somatic hospital contacts, invasive cardiac procedures, and mortality from heart disease in patients with severe mental disorder.

    PubMed

    Laursen, Thomas Munk; Munk-Olsen, Trine; Agerbo, Esben; Gasse, Christiane; Mortensen, Preben Bo

    2009-07-01

    Excess mortality from heart disease is observed in patients with severe mental disorder. This excess mortality may be rooted in adverse effects of pharmacological or psychotropic treatment, lifestyle factors, or inadequate somatic care. To examine whether persons with severe mental disorder, defined as persons admitted to a psychiatric hospital with bipolar affective disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophrenia, are in contact with hospitals and undergoing invasive procedures for heart disease to the same degree as the nonpsychiatric general population, and to determine whether they have higher mortality rates of heart disease. A population-based cohort of 4.6 million persons born in Denmark was followed up from 1994 to 2007. Rates of mortality, somatic contacts, and invasive procedures were estimated by survival analysis. Incidence rate ratios of heart disease admissions and heart disease mortality as well as probability of invasive cardiac procedures. The incidence rate ratio of heart disease contacts in persons with severe mental disorder compared with the rate for the nonpsychiatric general population was only slightly increased, at 1.11 (95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.14). In contrast, their excess mortality rate ratio from heart disease was 2.90 (95% confidence interval, 2.71-3.10). Five years after the first contact for somatic heart disease, the risk of dying of heart disease was 8.26% for persons with severe mental disorder (aged <70 years) but only 2.86% in patients with heart disease who had never been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The fraction undergoing invasive procedures within 5 years was reduced among patients with severe mental disorder as compared with the nonpsychiatric general population (7.04% vs 12.27%, respectively). Individuals with severe mental disorder had only negligible excess rates of contact for heart disease. Given their excess mortality from heart disease and lower rates of invasive procedures after first contact, it would seem that the treatment for heart disease offered to these individuals in Denmark is neither sufficiently efficient nor sufficiently intensive. This undertreatment may explain part of their excess mortality.

  17. Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Heart Rate Monitor: Validation Study Conducted Under Free-Living Conditions.

    PubMed

    Gorny, Alexander Wilhelm; Liew, Seaw Jia; Tan, Chuen Seng; Müller-Riemenschneider, Falk

    2017-10-20

    Many modern smart watches and activity trackers feature an optical sensor that estimates the wearer's heart rate. Recent studies have evaluated the performance of these consumer devices in the laboratory. The objective of our study was to examine the accuracy and sensitivity of a common wrist-worn tracker device in measuring heart rates and detecting 1-min bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) under free-living conditions. Ten healthy volunteers were recruited from a large university in Singapore to participate in a limited field test, followed by a month of continuous data collection. During the field test, each participant would wear one Fitbit Charge HR activity tracker and one Polar H6 heart rate monitor. Fitbit measures were accessed at 1-min intervals, while Polar readings were available for 10-s intervals. We derived intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for individual participants comparing heart rate estimates. We applied Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heart rate zone cut-offs to ascertain the sensitivity and specificity of Fitbit in identifying 1-min epochs falling into MVPA heart rate zone. We collected paired heart rate data for 2509 1-min epochs in 10 individuals under free-living conditions of 3 to 6 hours. The overall ICC comparing 1-min Fitbit measures with average 10-s Polar H6 measures for the same epoch was .83 (95% CI .63-.91). On average, the Fitbit tracker underestimated heart rate measures by -5.96 bpm (standard error, SE=0.18). At the low intensity heart rate zone, the underestimate was smaller at -4.22 bpm (SE=0.15). This underestimate grew to -16.2 bpm (SE=0.74) in the MVPA heart rate zone. Fitbit devices detected 52.9% (192/363) of MVPA heart rate zone epochs correctly. Positive and negative predictive values were 86.1% (192/223) and 92.52% (2115/2286), respectively. During subsequent 1 month of continuous data collection (270 person-days), only 3.9% of 1-min epochs could be categorized as MVPA according to heart rate zones. This measure was affected by decreasing wear time and adherence over the period of follow-up. Under free-living conditions, Fitbit trackers are affected by significant systematic errors. Improvements in tracker accuracy and sensitivity when measuring MVPA are required before they can be considered for use in the context of exercise prescription to promote better health. ©Alexander Wilhelm Gorny, Seaw Jia Liew, Chuen Seng Tan, Falk Müller-Riemenschneider. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 20.10.2017.

  18. Optimizing Nutrition in Pediatric Heart Failure: The Crisis Is Over and Now It's Time to Feed.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Kylie D; Conway, Jennifer; Cunningham, Chentel; Larsen, Bodil M K

    2018-06-01

    Pediatric heart failure is a complex disease occurring when cardiac output is unable to meet the metabolic demands of the body. With improved surgical interventions and medical therapies, survival rates have improved, and care has shifted from focusing on survival to optimizing quality of life and health outcomes. Based on current literature, this review addresses the nutrition needs of infants and children in heart failure and describes the pathophysiology and metabolic implications of this disease. The prevalence of wasting in pediatric heart failure has been reported to be as high as 86%, highlighting the importance of nutrition assessment through all stages of treatment to provide appropriate intake of energy, protein, and micronutrients. The etiology of malnutrition in pediatric heart failure is multifactorial and involves hypermetabolism, decreased intake, increased nutrient losses, inefficient utilization of nutrients, and malabsorption. Children in heart failure often present with tachypnea, tachycardia, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting and consequently may not be able to meet their nutrition requirements through oral intake alone. Nutrition support, including enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition, should be considered an essential part of routine care. The involvement of multiple allied health professionals may be needed to create a feeding therapy plan to support patients and their families. With appropriate nutrition interventions, clinical outcomes and quality of life can be significantly improved. © 2017 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

  19. Magnetophysiologic and echocardiographic comparison of blocked atrial bigeminy and 2:1 atrioventricular block in the fetus.

    PubMed

    Wiggins, Delonia L; Strasburger, Janette F; Gotteiner, Nina L; Cuneo, Bettina; Wakai, Ronald T

    2013-08-01

    Blocked atrial bigeminy (BAB) and second-degree atrioventricular block with 2:1 conduction block (2:1 AVB) both present as ventricular bradycardia and can be difficult to distinguish by echocardiography. Since the prognosis and clinical management of these rhythms are different, an accurate diagnosis is essential. To identify magnetic and mechanical heart rate and rhythm parameters that could reliably distinguish BAB from 2:1 AVB. A retrospective study of ten BAB and seven 2:1 AVB subjects was performed, using fMCG and pulsed Doppler ultrasound. Distinguishing BAB from 2:1 AVB by using fMCG was relatively straightforward because in BAB the ectopic P wave (P') occurred early, resulting in a bigeminal (short-long) atrial rhythm. The normalized coupling interval of the ectopic beat (PP' of the blocked beat to PP of the conducted beat) was 0.29 ± 0.03. In contrast, the echocardiographic assessment of inflow-outflow gave a normalized mechanical coupling interval (AA'/AA) near 0.5, which made it difficult to distinguish BAB from 2:1 AVB. Heart rate distinguished most subjects with BAB from those with 2:1 AVB (82 ± 5.7 beats/min vs 69 ± 4.2 beats/min), but was not a completely reliable indicator. In most subjects, BAB alternated with sinus rhythm or other rhythms, resulting in complex heart rate and rhythm patterns. Fetal BAB and 2:1 AV block can be difficult to distinguish using echocardiography because in many fetuses with BAB the mechanical rhythm does not accurately reflect the magnetic rhythm. fMCG provides a more reliable means of making a differential diagnosis. Copyright © 2013 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. How to Calculate Renyi Entropy from Heart Rate Variability, and Why it Matters for Detecting Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy.

    PubMed

    Cornforth, David J; Tarvainen, Mika P; Jelinek, Herbert F

    2014-01-01

    Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a disease that involves nerve damage leading to an abnormal control of heart rate. An open question is to what extent this condition is detectable from heart rate variability (HRV), which provides information only on successive intervals between heart beats, yet is non-invasive and easy to obtain from a three-lead ECG recording. A variety of measures may be extracted from HRV, including time domain, frequency domain, and more complex non-linear measures. Among the latter, Renyi entropy has been proposed as a suitable measure that can be used to discriminate CAN from controls. However, all entropy methods require estimation of probabilities, and there are a number of ways in which this estimation can be made. In this work, we calculate Renyi entropy using several variations of the histogram method and a density method based on sequences of RR intervals. In all, we calculate Renyi entropy using nine methods and compare their effectiveness in separating the different classes of participants. We found that the histogram method using single RR intervals yields an entropy measure that is either incapable of discriminating CAN from controls, or that it provides little information that could not be gained from the SD of the RR intervals. In contrast, probabilities calculated using a density method based on sequences of RR intervals yield an entropy measure that provides good separation between groups of participants and provides information not available from the SD. The main contribution of this work is that different approaches to calculating probability may affect the success of detecting disease. Our results bring new clarity to the methods used to calculate the Renyi entropy in general, and in particular, to the successful detection of CAN.

  1. How to Calculate Renyi Entropy from Heart Rate Variability, and Why it Matters for Detecting Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy

    PubMed Central

    Cornforth, David J.;  Tarvainen, Mika P.; Jelinek, Herbert F.

    2014-01-01

    Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a disease that involves nerve damage leading to an abnormal control of heart rate. An open question is to what extent this condition is detectable from heart rate variability (HRV), which provides information only on successive intervals between heart beats, yet is non-invasive and easy to obtain from a three-lead ECG recording. A variety of measures may be extracted from HRV, including time domain, frequency domain, and more complex non-linear measures. Among the latter, Renyi entropy has been proposed as a suitable measure that can be used to discriminate CAN from controls. However, all entropy methods require estimation of probabilities, and there are a number of ways in which this estimation can be made. In this work, we calculate Renyi entropy using several variations of the histogram method and a density method based on sequences of RR intervals. In all, we calculate Renyi entropy using nine methods and compare their effectiveness in separating the different classes of participants. We found that the histogram method using single RR intervals yields an entropy measure that is either incapable of discriminating CAN from controls, or that it provides little information that could not be gained from the SD of the RR intervals. In contrast, probabilities calculated using a density method based on sequences of RR intervals yield an entropy measure that provides good separation between groups of participants and provides information not available from the SD. The main contribution of this work is that different approaches to calculating probability may affect the success of detecting disease. Our results bring new clarity to the methods used to calculate the Renyi entropy in general, and in particular, to the successful detection of CAN. PMID:25250311

  2. Combined effects of family history of CVD and heart rate on ischemic stroke incidence among Inner Mongolians in China.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Yipeng; Tian, Yunfan; Zhong, Chongke; Batu, Buren; Xu, Tian; Li, Hongmei; Zhang, Mingzhi; Wang, Aili; Zhang, Yonghong

    2016-05-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of family history of cardiovascular diseases (FHCVD) and heart rate on ischemic stroke incidence among Inner Mongolians in China. A prospective cohort study was conducted among 2589 participants aged 20 years and older from Inner Mongolia, China. The participants were divided into four groups according to status of FHCVD and heart rate and followed up from June 2002 to July 2012. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the combined effects of FHCVD and heart rate on the incidence of ischemic stroke. A total of 76 ischemic stroke occurred during the follow-up period. The observed ischemic stroke cases tended to be older and male, and had higher prevalence of smoking, drinking, hypertension and FHCVD as well as higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures at baseline compared with those who did not experience ischemic stroke. Age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of ischemic stroke in the participants with both FHCVD and heart rate ≥ 80 were 2.89 (1.51-5.53), compared with those without FHCVD and heart rate < 80. After multiple adjustment, the association between ischemic stroke risk and both FHCVD and heart rate ≥ 80 remained statistically significant (hazard ratio, 2.47; 95% confidence interval: 1.22-5.01). Our main finding that participants with both FHCVD and faster heart rate have the highest risk of ischemic stroke suggests that faster heart rate may increase the risk of ischemic stroke among people with FHCVD.

  3. Idiosyncratic heart rate response in men during sexual arousal.

    PubMed

    Rowland, David L; Crawford, Sara B

    2011-05-01

    Heart rate, sensitive to sympathetic activation, is known to change during sexual arousal and therefore may be a useful tool for investigating psychosomatic differences between sexually functional and dysfunctional men. However, heart rate during arousal also tends to be highly variable across individual men, making its predictability based on group patterns relatively poor. We wanted to determine whether individual men show idiosyncratic heart rate patterns during sexual arousal, that is, whether they exhibit consistent patterns across similar (though not identical) stimulus situations. Agreement between heart rates under the two conditions, visual sexual stimulation (VSS) and VSS + vibrotactile (VIB), was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC).   Thirty-eight men, 25 of whom were diagnosed with premature ejaculation (PE), were monitored for penile response and heart rate under two similar (though not identical) conditions: a 9-minute erotic video (VSS), then a 9-minute erotic video combined with vibrotactile penile stimulation (VSS + VIB). CCC for men with PE was 0.65; for the sexually functional comparison group, CCC was 0.82. For both groups combined, CCC was 0.71. For all groupings, the CCC was relatively high, indicating agreement in heart rate from one session to the next within individual men. Despite high intersubject variation in heart rate patterns, individual men show signature heart rates across similar sexual stimulus sessions. Such stereotypy helps explain previous inconsistent findings and may also serve as a marker for the effectiveness of treatments designed to improve ejaculatory control in men with PE. © 2011 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

  4. Estimating energy expenditure from heart rate in older adults: a case for calibration.

    PubMed

    Schrack, Jennifer A; Zipunnikov, Vadim; Goldsmith, Jeff; Bandeen-Roche, Karen; Crainiceanu, Ciprian M; Ferrucci, Luigi

    2014-01-01

    Accurate measurement of free-living energy expenditure is vital to understanding changes in energy metabolism with aging. The efficacy of heart rate as a surrogate for energy expenditure is rooted in the assumption of a linear function between heart rate and energy expenditure, but its validity and reliability in older adults remains unclear. To assess the validity and reliability of the linear function between heart rate and energy expenditure in older adults using different levels of calibration. Heart rate and energy expenditure were assessed across five levels of exertion in 290 adults participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Correlation and random effects regression analyses assessed the linearity of the relationship between heart rate and energy expenditure and cross-validation models assessed predictive performance. Heart rate and energy expenditure were highly correlated (r=0.98) and linear regardless of age or sex. Intra-person variability was low but inter-person variability was high, with substantial heterogeneity of the random intercept (s.d. =0.372) despite similar slopes. Cross-validation models indicated individual calibration data substantially improves accuracy predictions of energy expenditure from heart rate, reducing the potential for considerable measurement bias. Although using five calibration measures provided the greatest reduction in the standard deviation of prediction errors (1.08 kcals/min), substantial improvement was also noted with two (0.75 kcals/min). These findings indicate standard regression equations may be used to make population-level inferences when estimating energy expenditure from heart rate in older adults but caution should be exercised when making inferences at the individual level without proper calibration.

  5. Associated influence of hypertension and heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute on mortality rate in patients with anterior wall STEMI

    PubMed Central

    Davidovic, Goran; Iric-Cupic, Violeta; Milanov, Srdjan

    2013-01-01

    Acute myocardial infarction as a form of coronary heart disease is characterized by permanent damage/loss of anatomical and functional cardiac tissue. Diagnosis of STEMI includes data on anginal pain and persistent ST-segment elavation. According to the numerous epidemiological studies, arterial blood pressure and heart rate are offten increased especially during the first hours of pain due to domination of sympathetic response. We wanted to investigate the associated influence of heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute and hypertension on the mortality in patients with anterior wall STEMI. Research included 140 patients treated in Coronary Unit, Clinical Center Kragujevac form January 2001 to June 2006. Heart rate was calculated as the mean value of baseline and heart rate in the first 30 minutes after admission, recorded on monitor and electrocardiogram. Data for history of hypertension were collected and blood pressure levels were measured in a lying position after 5 minutes of rest, and classified according to the VII JNC recommendations as confirmation of hypertension. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS 13.0 for Windows. Heart rate greater than 80 bpm influences the hospital mortality. Systolic blood pressure levels were higher in the survivors, while for the diastolic there was no difference. History of hypertension was singled out as a significant predictor of mortality without difference between the respondents with heart rate greater and lower than 80 bpm in the survivors and fatal. Increased heart rate and hypertension at admission are significant predictors of mortality in patients with anterior wall STEMI. PMID:23724155

  6. Prevalence and spectrum of in utero structural brain abnormalities in fetuses with complex congenital heart disease.

    PubMed

    Brossard-Racine, M; du Plessis, A J; Vezina, G; Robertson, R; Bulas, D; Evangelou, I E; Donofrio, M; Freeman, D; Limperopoulos, C

    2014-08-01

    Brain injury is a major complication in neonates with complex congenital heart disease. Preliminary evidence suggests that fetuses with congenital heart disease are at greater risk for brain abnormalities. However, the nature and frequency of these brain abnormalities detected by conventional fetal MR imaging has not been examined prospectively. Our primary objective was to determine the prevalence and spectrum of brain abnormalities detected on conventional clinical MR imaging in fetuses with complex congenital heart disease and, second, to compare the congenital heart disease cohort with a control group of fetuses from healthy pregnancies. We prospectively recruited pregnant women with a confirmed fetal congenital heart disease diagnosis and healthy volunteers with normal fetal echocardiogram findings who underwent a fetal MR imaging between 18 and 39 weeks gestational age. A total of 338 fetuses (194 controls; 144 with congenital heart disease) were studied at a mean gestational age of 30.61 ± 4.67 weeks. Brain abnormalities were present in 23% of the congenital heart disease group compared with 1.5% in the control group (P < .001). The most common abnormalities in the congenital heart disease group were mild unilateral ventriculomegaly in 12/33 (36.4%) and increased extra-axial spaces in 10/33 (30.3%). Subgroup analyses comparing the type and frequency of brain abnormalities based on cardiac physiology did not reveal significant associations, suggesting that the brain abnormalities were not limited to those with the most severe congenital heart disease. This is the first large prospective study reporting conventional MR imaging findings in fetuses with congenital heart disease. Our results suggest that brain abnormalities are prevalent but relatively mild antenatally in fetuses with congenital heart disease. The long-term predictive value of these findings awaits further study. © 2014 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

  7. Heart Rate at Hospital Discharge in Patients With Heart Failure Is Associated With Mortality and Rehospitalization

    PubMed Central

    Laskey, Warren K.; Alomari, Ihab; Cox, Margueritte; Schulte, Phillip J.; Zhao, Xin; Hernandez, Adrian F.; Heidenreich, Paul A.; Eapen, Zubin J.; Yancy, Clyde; Bhatt, Deepak L.; Fonarow, Gregg C.

    2015-01-01

    Background Whether heart rate upon discharge following hospitalization for heart failure is associated with long‐term adverse outcomes and whether this association differs between patients with sinus rhythm (SR) and atrial fibrillation (AF) have not been well studied. Methods and Results We conducted a retrospective cohort study from clinical registry data linked to Medicare claims for 46 217 patients participating in Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure. Cox proportional‐hazards models were used to estimate the association between discharge heart rate and all‐cause mortality, all‐cause readmission, and the composite outcome of mortality/readmission through 1 year. For SR and AF patients with heart rate ≥75, the association between heart rate and mortality (expressed as hazard ratio [HR] per 10 beats‐per‐minute increment) was significant at 0 to 30 days (SR: HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.39; AF: HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.29) and 31 to 365 days (SR: HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.20; AF: HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.08). Similar associations between heart rate and all‐cause readmission and the composite outcome were obtained for SR and AF patients from 0 to 30 days but only in the composite outcome for SR patients over the longer term. The HR from 0 to 30 days exceeded that from 31 to 365 days for both SR and AF patients. At heart rates <75, an association was significant for mortality only for both SR and AF patients. Conclusions Among older patients hospitalized with heart failure, higher discharge heart rate was associated with increased risks of death and rehospitalization, with higher risk in the first 30 days and for SR compared with AF. PMID:25904590

  8. Heart rate turbulence.

    PubMed

    Cygankiewicz, Iwona

    2013-01-01

    Heart rate turbulence (HRT) is a baroreflex-mediated biphasic reaction of heart rate in response to premature ventricular beats. Heart rate turbulence is quantified by: turbulence onset (TO) reflecting the initial acceleration of heart rate following premature beat and turbulence slope (TS) describing subsequent deceleration of heart rate. Abnormal HRT identifies patients with autonomic dysfunction or impaired baroreflex sensitivity due to variety of disorders, but also may reflect changes in autonomic nervous system induced by different therapeutic modalities such as drugs, revascularization, or cardiac resynchronization therapy. More importantly, impaired HRT has been shown to identify patients at high risk of all-cause mortality and sudden death, particularly in postinfarction and congestive heart failure patients. It should be emphasized that abnormal HRT has a well-established role in stratification of postinfarction and heart failure patients with relatively preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. The ongoing clinical trials will document whether HRT can be used to guide implantation of cardioverter-defibrillators in this subset of patients, not covered yet by ICD guidelines. This review focuses on the current state-of-the-art knowledge regarding clinical significance of HRT in detection of autonomic dysfunction and regarding the prognostic significance of this parameter in predicting all-cause mortality and sudden death. © 2013.

  9. Heart rate variability and aerobic fitness.

    PubMed

    De Meersman, R E

    1993-03-01

    Heart rate variability, a noninvasive marker of parasympathetic activity, diminishes with aging and is augmented after exercise training. Whether habitual exercise over time can attenuate this loss is unknown. This cross-sectional investigation compared 72 male runners, aged 15 to 83 to 72 age- and weight-matched sedentary control subjects for the amplitude of their heart rate variability. Heart rate variability was assessed during rest while subjects were breathing at a rate of 6 breaths per minute and at an augmented tidal volume (tidal volume = 30% of vital capacity). Fitness levels were assessed with on-line, open-circuit spirometry while subjects were performing an incremental stress test. Overall results between the two groups showed that the physically active group had significantly higher fitness levels (p < 0.001), which were associated with significantly higher levels of heart rate variability, when compared with their sedentary counterparts (p < 0.001). These findings provide suggestive evidence for habitual aerobic exercise as a beneficial modulator of heart rate variability in an aging population.

  10. Extended dynamic range of Doppler OCT by application of a new method to high density B-scans using a MHz FDML swept laser source (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elahi, Sahar; Thrane, Lars; Rollins, Andrew M.; Jenkins, Michael W.

    2017-02-01

    The limited dynamic range of optical coherence tomography (OCT) Doppler velocity measurements makes it difficult to conduct experiments on samples requiring a large dynamic range without phase wrapping at high velocities or loss of sensitivity at slow velocities. Hemodynamics and wall motion undergo significant increases in velocity as the embryonic heart develops. Experimental studies indicate that altered hemodynamics in early-stage embryonic hearts can lead to congenital heart diseases (CHDs), motivating close monitoring of blood flow over several stages of development. We have built a high-speed OCT system using an FDML laser (Optores GmbH, Germany) at a sweep rate of 1.68 MHz (axial resolution - 12 μm, sensitivity - 105 dB, phase stability - 17 mrad). The speed of this OCT system allows us to acquire high-density B-scans to obtain an extended velocity dynamic range without sacrificing the frame rate (100 Hz). The extended dynamic range within a frame is achieved by varying the A-scan interval at which the phase difference is found, enabling detection of velocities ranging from tens of microns per second to hundreds of millimeters per second. The extra lines in a frame can also be utilized to improve the structural and Doppler images via complex averaging. In structural images where the presence of blood causes additional scattering, complex averaging helps retrieve features located deeper in the tissue. Moreover, high-density frames can be registered to 4D volumes to determine the orthogonal direction of flow for calculating shear stress as well as estimating the cardiac output. In conclusion, high density B-scans acquired by our high-speed OCT system enable image enhancement and direct measurement of biological parameters in cohort studies.

  11. Arduino-based noise robust online heart-rate detection.

    PubMed

    Das, Sangita; Pal, Saurabh; Mitra, Madhuchhanda

    2017-04-01

    This paper introduces a noise robust real time heart rate detection system from electrocardiogram (ECG) data. An online data acquisition system is developed to collect ECG signals from human subjects. Heart rate is detected using window-based autocorrelation peak localisation technique. A low-cost Arduino UNO board is used to implement the complete automated process. The performance of the system is compared with PC-based heart rate detection technique. Accuracy of the system is validated through simulated noisy ECG data with various levels of signal to noise ratio (SNR). The mean percentage error of detected heart rate is found to be 0.72% for the noisy database with five different noise levels.

  12. Association between resting heart rate and arterial stiffness in Korean adults.

    PubMed

    Park, Byoung-Jin; Lee, Hye-Ree; Shim, Jae-Yong; Lee, Jung-Hyun; Jung, Dong-Hyuk; Lee, Yong-Jae

    2010-04-01

    Higher resting heart rate, a simple and useful indicator of autonomic balance and metabolic rate, has emerged as an independent predictor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. To determine the association between resting heart rate and arterial stiffness measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). We examined the association between resting heart rate and baPWV in 641 Korean adults (366 men, 275 women) in a health examination program. A high baPWV was defined as greater than 1450 cm/s (>75th percentile). The odds ratios for high baPWVs were calculated using multivariable logistic regression analysis after adjusting for confounding variables across heart rate quartiles (Q1or=69 beats/min). Age-adjusted baPWV mean values increased gradually with heart rate quartile (Q1=1281, Q2=1285, Q3=1354, Q4=1416 cm/s). The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for high baPWVs in each heart rate quartile were 1.00, 1.28 (0.57-2.86), 2.63 (1.20-5.79) and 3.66 (1.66-8.05), respectively, after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol intake, exercise, body mass index, hypertension medication, diabetes medication, hyperlipidaemia medication, mean arterial blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, white blood cell count, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and uric acid. These findings indicate that a higher resting heart rate is independently associated with arterial stiffness. Accordingly, early detection of increased resting heart rate is important for preservation of arterial function and assessment of cardiovascular risk. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  13. Low resting heart rate is associated with violence in late adolescence: a prospective birth cohort study in Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Murray, Joseph; Hallal, Pedro C; Mielke, Gregore I; Raine, Adrian; Wehrmeister, Fernando C; Anselmi, Luciana; Barros, Fernando C

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background : Youth violence is a major global public health problem. Three UK and Swedish studies suggest that low resting heart rate predicts male youth violence, but this has not been tested in other social settings nor for females. Methods : A prospective, population-based birth cohort study was conducted in Pelotas, Brazil. Heart rate was measured using a wrist monitor at ages 11, 15 and 18 years. Violent crime and non-violent crime were measured at age 18 in self-reports and official records ( N  = 3618). Confounding variables were assessed in the perinatal period and at age 11, in interviews with mothers and children. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between quartiles of heart rate at each age, and violent and non-violent crime at age 18, separately for males and females. Results : Lower resting heart rate was a robust correlate of violent and non-violent crime for males. Comparing males in the lowest and top quartiles of heart rate at age 15 years, adjusted odds ratios were 1.9 for violent crime [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–2.7] and 1.7 for non-violent crime (95% CI 1.1–2.6). For females, crime outcomes were associated only with low resting heart rate at age 18. Associations were generally linear across the four heart rate quartiles. There was no evidence that associations differed according to socioeconomic status at age 15. Conclusions : Low resting heart rate predicted violent and non-violent crime for males, and was cross-sectionally associated with crime for females. Biological factors may contribute to individual propensity to commit crime, even in a middle-income setting with high rates of violence. PMID:26822937

  14. Effect of Temperature on Heart Rate Variability in Neonatal ICU Patients With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.

    PubMed

    Massaro, An N; Campbell, Heather E; Metzler, Marina; Al-Shargabi, Tareq; Wang, Yunfei; du Plessis, Adre; Govindan, Rathinaswamy B

    2017-04-01

    To determine whether measures of heart rate variability are related to changes in temperature during rewarming after therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Prospective observational study. Level 4 neonatal ICU in a free-standing academic children's hospital. Forty-four infants with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Continuous electrocardiogram data from 2 hours prior to rewarming through 2 hours after completion of rewarming (up to 10 hr) were analyzed. Median beat-to-beat interval and measures of heart rate variability were quantified including beat-to-beat interval SD, low and high frequency relative spectral power, detrended fluctuation analysis short and long α exponents (αS and αL), and root mean square short and long time scales. The relationships between heart rate variability measures and esophageal/axillary temperatures were evaluated. Heart rate variability measures low frequency, αS, and root mean square short and long time scales were negatively associated, whereas αL was positively associated, with temperature (p < 0.01). These findings signify an overall decrease in heart rate variability as temperature increased toward normothermia. Measures of heart rate variability are temperature dependent in the range of therapeutic hypothermia to normothermia. Core body temperature needs to be considered when evaluating heart rate variability metrics as potential physiologic biomarkers of illness severity in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy infants undergoing therapeutic hypothermia.

  15. Independent and combined effects of resting heart rate and pulse pressure with metabolic syndrome in Chinese rural population: The Henan Rural Cohort study.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xia; Li, Yuqian; Wang, Fang; Zang, Jianguo; Liu, Xiaotian; Zhang, Honglei; Yang, Kaili; Zhang, Gongyuan; Wang, Chongjian

    2018-06-07

    We examined the independent and cumulative associations of resting heart rate and pulse pressure with metabolic syndrome in Chinese rural population based on epidemiological research. A total of 38,708 participants were derived from the Henan Rural Cohort study. Restricted cubic splines and logistic regression model were used to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of metabolic syndrome risk in relation to resting heart rate and pulse pressure. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) of resting heart rate and pulse pressure in the highest quartile with the risk of metabolic syndrome were 1.59 (1.48-1.70) and1.81 (1.67-1.95), respectively. Simultaneously, the cumulative effect analysis indicated that the adjusted the odd ratio of resting heart rate and pulse pressure in the highest quartile was 2.89 (2.40-3.47). Furthermore, there was a significantly additive interaction between resting heart rate and pulse pressure on the risk of metabolic syndrome. Increased resting heart rate and pulse pressure are associated with the higher risk of metabolic syndrome as well as the influences of resting heart rate with pulse pressure might cumulatively increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. However, the potential clinical application remains to be determined. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Resting heart rate, physiological stress and disadvantage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: analysis from a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Alice; Hughes, Jaquelyne T; Brown, Alex; Lawton, Paul D; Cass, Alan; Hoy, Wendy; O'Dea, Kerin; Maple-Brown, Louise J

    2016-02-11

    Lower socioeconomic status has been linked to long-term stress, which can manifest in individuals as physiological stress. The aim was to explore the relationship between low socioeconomic status and physiological stress in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Using data from the eGFR Study (a cross-sectional study of 634 Indigenous Australians in urban and remote areas of northern and central Australia), we examined associations between resting heart rate and demographic, socioeconomic, and biomedical factors. An elevated resting heart rate has been proposed as a measure of sustained stress activation and was used as a marker of physiological stress. Relationships were assessed between heart rate and the above variables using univariate and multiple regression analyses. We reported a mean resting heart rate of 74 beats/min in the cohort (mean age 45 years). On multiple regression analysis, higher heart rate was found to be independently associated with Aboriginal ethnicity, being a current smoker, having only primary level schooling, higher HbA1c and higher diastolic blood pressure (model R(2) 0.25). Elevated resting heart rate was associated with lower socioeconomic status and poorer health profile in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Higher resting heart rate may be an indicator of stress and disadvantage in this population at high risk of chronic diseases.

  17. Interactive effects of mechano- and chemo-receptor inputs on cardiorespiratory outputs in the toad.

    PubMed

    Wang, T; Taylor, E W; Reid, S G; Milsom, W K

    2004-04-20

    Arterial blood pressure (P(b)), pulmocutaneous blood flow (Q(pc)), heart rate (f(H)), and fictive ventilation (motor activity in the Vth cranial nerve, V(int)), were recorded from decerebrated, paralysed toads receiving unidirectional ventilation with experimental gas mixtures over a range of lung inflation. At the onset of spontaneous bouts of fictive ventilation, (Q(pc)) and P(b) increased immediately, often with changes in heart rate, implying central cardiorespiratory interactions. Inflation of the lungs with different gas mixtures revealed that the effect of hypercarbia on V(int) was reduced by lung inflation and that feedback from pulmonary stretch receptors may summate with central feedforward control of f(H) and (Q(pc)) in an interactive fashion. The results of bolus injections of cyanide into the carotid or the pulmonary circulations suggest there are oxygen sensitive receptors in both circuits that affect the cardiovascular system directly and respiratory activity by complex central interactions with inputs from central chemoreceptors and pulmonary stretch receptors.

  18. Recurrence quantification analysis of heart rate variability and respiratory flow series in patients on weaning trials.

    PubMed

    Arcentales, Andrés; Giraldo, Beatriz F; Caminal, Pere; Benito, Salvador; Voss, Andreas

    2011-01-01

    Autonomic nervous system regulates the behavior of cardiac and respiratory systems. Its assessment during the ventilator weaning can provide information about physio-pathological imbalances. This work proposes a non linear analysis of the complexity of the heart rate variability (HRV) and breathing duration (T(Tot)) applying recurrence plot (RP) and their interaction joint recurrence plot (JRP). A total of 131 patients on weaning trials from mechanical ventilation were analyzed: 92 patients with successful weaning (group S) and 39 patients that failed to maintain spontaneous breathing (group F). The results show that parameters as determinism (DET), average diagonal line length (L), and entropy (ENTR), are statistically significant with RP for T(Tot) series, but not with HRV. When comparing the groups with JRP, all parameters have been relevant. In all cases, mean values of recurrence quantification analysis are higher in the group S than in the group F. The main differences between groups were found on the diagonal and vertical structures of the joint recurrence plot.

  19. Analysis of the mobile phone effect on the heart rate variability by using the largest Lyapunov exponent.

    PubMed

    Yılmaz, Derya; Yıldız, Metin

    2010-12-01

    In this study, the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by GSM900 based mobile phones (MPs) on the heart rate variability (HRV) were examined by using nonlinear analysis methods. The largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE) calculation was used to evaluate the effect of MP under various real exposure conditions. Sixteen healthy young volunteers were exposed to EMFs emitted by GSM900 based MP at two levels from a very low EMF (MP at stand-by) to a higher EMF (MP at pre-ring handshaking and ringing). A blind experimental protocol was designed and utilized with consideration to the physiological and psychological factors that may affect HRV. The results showed that the LLE values increased slightly with higher EMF produced by MP (P < 0.05). This change indicates that the degree of chaos in the HRV signals increased at higher EMF compared to low level EMF. Consequently, we have concluded that high level EMF changed the complexity of cardiac system behavior, significantly.

  20. Mitochondrial protein hyperacetylation in the failing heart

    PubMed Central

    Horton, Julie L.; Martin, Ola J.; Lai, Ling; Richards, Alicia L.; Vega, Rick B.; Leone, Teresa C.; Pagliarini, David J.; Muoio, Deborah M.; Bedi, Kenneth C.; Coon, Joshua J.

    2016-01-01

    Myocardial fuel and energy metabolic derangements contribute to the pathogenesis of heart failure. Recent evidence implicates posttranslational mechanisms in the energy metabolic disturbances that contribute to the pathogenesis of heart failure. We hypothesized that accumulation of metabolite intermediates of fuel oxidation pathways drives posttranslational modifications of mitochondrial proteins during the development of heart failure. Myocardial acetylproteomics demonstrated extensive mitochondrial protein lysine hyperacetylation in the early stages of heart failure in well-defined mouse models and the in end-stage failing human heart. To determine the functional impact of increased mitochondrial protein acetylation, we focused on succinate dehydrogenase A (SDHA), a critical component of both the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and respiratory complex II. An acetyl-mimetic mutation targeting an SDHA lysine residue shown to be hyperacetylated in the failing human heart reduced catalytic function and reduced complex II–driven respiration. These results identify alterations in mitochondrial acetyl-CoA homeostasis as a potential driver of the development of energy metabolic derangements that contribute to heart failure. PMID:26998524

  1. Mitochondrial protein hyperacetylation in the failing heart.

    PubMed

    Horton, Julie L; Martin, Ola J; Lai, Ling; Riley, Nicholas M; Richards, Alicia L; Vega, Rick B; Leone, Teresa C; Pagliarini, David J; Muoio, Deborah M; Bedi, Kenneth C; Margulies, Kenneth B; Coon, Joshua J; Kelly, Daniel P

    2016-02-01

    Myocardial fuel and energy metabolic derangements contribute to the pathogenesis of heart failure. Recent evidence implicates posttranslational mechanisms in the energy metabolic disturbances that contribute to the pathogenesis of heart failure. We hypothesized that accumulation of metabolite intermediates of fuel oxidation pathways drives posttranslational modifications of mitochondrial proteins during the development of heart failure. Myocardial acetylproteomics demonstrated extensive mitochondrial protein lysine hyperacetylation in the early stages of heart failure in well-defined mouse models and the in end-stage failing human heart. To determine the functional impact of increased mitochondrial protein acetylation, we focused on succinate dehydrogenase A (SDHA), a critical component of both the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and respiratory complex II. An acetyl-mimetic mutation targeting an SDHA lysine residue shown to be hyperacetylated in the failing human heart reduced catalytic function and reduced complex II-driven respiration. These results identify alterations in mitochondrial acetyl-CoA homeostasis as a potential driver of the development of energy metabolic derangements that contribute to heart failure.

  2. A Randomized Prospective Study Of The Use Of Ipads In Reducing Anxiety During Cast Room Procedures

    PubMed Central

    Ko, Justine S.; Whiting, Zachariah; Nguyen, Cynthia; Liu, Raymond W; Gilmore, Allison

    2016-01-01

    Background Cast room procedures can be a source of anxiety for children. Various techniques, including music therapy, have been evaluated as a way to ease this anxiety. The use of iPads as a form of distraction during cast room procedures has not previously been evaluated and was the purpose of the current study. Methods 146 children and adolescents who underwent cast room procedures during June- August 2015 were randomly assigned to one of three groups: no-iPad, iPad with video, or iPad with game. Patient heart rates were measured using a pulse oximeter in the waiting room, before the procedure, during the procedure, and after the procedure. Mean values for each group were calculated at each time interval and compared both between groups and within groups over time. Results There were no significant differences in baseline (waiting room) heart rate between the no-iPad and iPad groups. When compared with the no-iPad group, there was a trend toward decreased heart rate in the video group (p=0.13) and a significant increase in heart rate in the game group (p=0.026) before the procedure. There were no significant decreases in heart rate within any of the groups when comparing the waiting room heart rates with the during procedure heart rates. There was a significant difference between the no-iPad and video groups (p=0.047) when comparing the change in heart rate from baseline to before the procedure, with a decreased heart rate observed in the video group. Conclusions The results of this study show a significant decrease in heart rate when transitioning from the waiting room to the cast room while watching videos on the iPad. iPad-based video delivery appears to decrease anxiety prior to cast room procedures. iPad-based game play is difficult to assess as elevations in heart rate prior to the procedure are presumed to be related to game play and confound the observed effect it may have on anxiety related to the procedure. PMID:27528849

  3. Orthostatic Hypotension and Elevated Resting Heart Rate Predict Low-Energy Fractures in the Population: The Malmö Preventive Project.

    PubMed

    Hamrefors, Viktor; Härstedt, Maria; Holmberg, Anna; Rogmark, Cecilia; Sutton, Richard; Melander, Olle; Fedorowski, Artur

    2016-01-01

    Autonomic disorders of the cardiovascular system, such as orthostatic hypotension and elevated resting heart rate, predict mortality and cardiovascular events in the population. Low-energy-fractures constitute a substantial clinical problem that may represent an additional risk related to such autonomic dysfunction. To test the association between orthostatic hypotension, resting heart rate and incidence of low-energy-fractures in the general population. Using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models we investigated the association between orthostatic blood pressure response, resting heart rate and first incident low-energy-fracture in a population-based, middle-aged cohort of 33 000 individuals over 25 years follow-up. The median follow-up time from baseline to first incident fracture among the subjects that experienced a low energy fracture was 15.0 years. A 10 mmHg orthostatic decrease in systolic blood pressure at baseline was associated with 5% increased risk of low-energy-fractures (95% confidence interval 1.01-1.10) during follow-up, whereas the resting heart rate predicted low-energy-fractures with an effect size of 8% increased risk per 10 beats-per-minute (1.05-1.12), independently of the orthostatic response. Subjects with a resting heart rate exceeding 68 beats-per-minute had 18% (1.10-1.26) increased risk of low-energy-fractures during follow-up compared with subjects with a resting heart rate below 68 beats-per-minute. When combining the orthostatic response and resting heart rate, there was a 30% risk increase (1.08-1.57) of low-energy-fractures between the extremes, i.e. between subjects in the fourth compared with the first quartiles of both resting heart rate and systolic blood pressure-decrease. Orthostatic blood pressure decline and elevated resting heart rate independently predict low-energy fractures in a middle-aged population. These two measures of subclinical cardiovascular dysautonomia may herald increased risks many years in advance, even if symptoms may not be detectable. Although the effect sizes are moderate, the easily accessible clinical parameters of orthostatic blood pressure response and resting heart rate deserve consideration as new risk predictors to yield more accurate decisions on primary prevention of low-energy fractures.

  4. On heart rate variability and autonomic activity in homeostasis and in systemic inflammation.

    PubMed

    Scheff, Jeremy D; Griffel, Benjamin; Corbett, Siobhan A; Calvano, Steve E; Androulakis, Ioannis P

    2014-06-01

    Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a promising diagnostic technique due to the noninvasive nature of the measurements involved and established correlations with disease severity, particularly in inflammation-linked disorders. However, the complexities underlying the interpretation of HRV complicate understanding the mechanisms that cause variability. Despite this, such interpretations are often found in literature. In this paper we explored mathematical modeling of the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and the heart, incorporating basic mechanisms such as perturbing mean values of oscillating autonomic activities and saturating signal transduction pathways to explore their impacts on HRV. We focused our analysis on human endotoxemia, a well-established, controlled experimental model of systemic inflammation that provokes changes in HRV representative of acute stress. By contrasting modeling results with published experimental data and analyses, we found that even a simple model linking the autonomic nervous system and the heart confound the interpretation of HRV changes in human endotoxemia. Multiple plausible alternative hypotheses, encoded in a model-based framework, equally reconciled experimental results. In total, our work illustrates how conventional assumptions about the relationships between autonomic activity and frequency-domain HRV metrics break down, even in a simple model. This underscores the need for further experimental work towards unraveling the underlying mechanisms of autonomic dysfunction and HRV changes in systemic inflammation. Understanding the extent of information encoded in HRV signals is critical in appropriately analyzing prior and future studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. On heart rate variability and autonomic activity in homeostasis and in systemic inflammation

    PubMed Central

    Scheff, Jeremy D.; Griffel, Benjamin; Corbett, Siobhan A.; Calvano, Steve E.; Androulakis, Ioannis P.

    2014-01-01

    Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a promising diagnostic technique due to the noninvasive nature of the measurements involved and established correlations with disease severity, particularly in inflammation-linked disorders. However, the complexities underlying the interpretation of HRV complicate understanding the mechanisms that cause variability. Despite this, such interpretations are often found in literature. In this paper we explored mathematical modeling of the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and the heart, incorporating basic mechanisms such as perturbing mean values of oscillating autonomic activities and saturating signal transduction pathways to explore their impacts on HRV. We focused our analysis on human endotoxemia, a well-established, controlled experimental model of systemic inflammation that provokes changes in HRV representative of acute stress. By contrasting modeling results with published experimental data and analyses, we found that even a simple model linking the autonomic nervous system and the heart confound the interpretation of HRV changes in human endotoxemia. Multiple plausible alternative hypotheses, encoded in a model-based framework, equally reconciled experimental results. In total, our work illustrates how conventional assumptions about the relationships between autonomic activity and frequency-domain HRV metrics break down, even in a simple model. This underscores the need for further experimental work towards unraveling the underlying mechanisms of autonomic dysfunction and HRV changes in systemic inflammation. Understanding the extent of information encoded in HRV signals is critical in appropriately analyzing prior and future studies. PMID:24680646

  6. Combat Casualties Undergoing Lifesaving Interventions Have Decreased Heart Rate Complexity at Multiple Time Scales

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    almost half of the cases, related to delays in hemorrhage control during transportation or in resuscitation efforts. Earlier detection of hemorrhagic...restored to normal values with fluid resuscitation [311. On further analysis, we found that SampEn retained its ability to discriminate survivors from...information about HR dynamics in the neonatal ICU setting. They have developed a real time index, termed HR characteristics, which takes into

  7. Speaking under pressure: Low linguistic complexity is linked to high physiological and emotional stress reactivity

    PubMed Central

    Saslow, Laura R.; McCoy, Shannon; van der Löwe, Ilmo; Cosley, Brandon; Vartan, Arbi; Oveis, Christopher; Keltner, Dacher; Moskowitz, Judith T.; Epel, Elissa S.

    2014-01-01

    What can a speech reveal about someone's state? We tested the idea that greater stress reactivity would relate to lower linguistic cognitive complexity while speaking. In Study 1, we tested whether heart rate and emotional stress reactivity to a stressful discussion would relate to lower linguistic complexity. In Studies 2 and 3 we tested whether a greater cortisol response to a standardized stressful task including a speech (Trier Social Stress Test) would be linked to speaking with less linguistic complexity during the task. We found evidence that measures of stress responsivity (emotional and physiological) and chronic stress are tied to variability in the cognitive complexity of speech. Taken together, these results provide evidence that our individual experiences of stress or ‘stress signatures’—how our body and mind react to stress both in the moment and over the longer term—are linked to how complexly we speak under stress. PMID:24354732

  8. Medication regimen complexity in ambulatory older adults with heart failure.

    PubMed

    Cobretti, Michael R; Page, Robert L; Linnebur, Sunny A; Deininger, Kimberly M; Ambardekar, Amrut V; Lindenfeld, JoAnn; Aquilante, Christina L

    2017-01-01

    Heart failure prevalence is increasing in older adults, and polypharmacy is a major problem in this population. We compared medication regimen complexity using the validated patient-level Medication Regimen Complexity Index (pMRCI) tool in "young-old" (60-74 years) versus "old-old" (75-89 years) patients with heart failure. We also compared pMRCI between patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ISCM) versus nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NISCM). Medication lists were retrospectively abstracted from the electronic medical records of ambulatory patients aged 60-89 years with heart failure. Medications were categorized into three types - heart failure prescription medications, other prescription medications, and over-the-counter (OTC) medications - and scored using the pMRCI tool. The study evaluated 145 patients (n=80 young-old, n=65 old-old, n=85 ISCM, n=60 NISCM, mean age 73±7 years, 64% men, 81% Caucasian). Mean total pMRCI scores (32.1±14.4, range 3-84) and total medication counts (13.3±4.8, range 2-30) were high for the entire cohort, of which 72% of patients were taking eleven or more total medications. Total and subtype pMRCI scores and medication counts did not differ significantly between the young-old and old-old groups, with the exception of OTC medication pMRCI score (6.2±4 young-old versus 7.8±5.8 old-old, P =0.04). With regard to heart failure etiology, total pMRCI scores and medication counts were significantly higher in patients with ISCM versus NISCM (pMRCI score 34.5±15.2 versus 28.8±12.7, P =0.009; medication count 14.1±4.9 versus 12.2±4.5, P =0.008), which was largely driven by other prescription medications. Medication regimen complexity is high in older adults with heart failure, and differs based on heart failure etiology. Additional work is needed to address polypharmacy and to determine if medication regimen complexity influences adherence and clinical outcomes in this population.

  9. NEUROSENSORY LINKS BETWEEN BRONCHOCONSTRICTION AND CARDIAC RHYTHM

    EPA Science Inventory

    Reports in the literature have attributed altered heart rate, heart rate variability, and rhythm to inhaled particulate matter (PM) in humans. Whereas the changes in heart rate are very small, analysis of ECG tracings indicate changes in HRV suggesting altered autonomic balance. ...

  10. Effects of hot-iron branding on heart rate, breathing rate and behaviour of anaesthetised Steller sea lions.

    PubMed

    Walker, K A; Mellish, J E; Weary, D M

    2011-10-01

    This study assessed the heart rate, breathing rate and behavioural responses of 12 juvenile Steller sea lions during hot-iron branding under isoflurane anaesthesia. Physiological and behavioural measures were recorded in four periods: baseline (five minutes), sham branding (one minute), branding (approximately 2.7 minutes) and postbranding (five minutes). No difference in heart rate was noted from baseline to sham branding, but heart rate increased from mean (sem) 78.3 (2.4) bpm in the baseline period to 85.6 (2.5) bpm in the branding period. Heart rate remained elevated in the postbranding period, averaging 84.7 (2.5) bpm. Breathing rate averaged 2.5 (1.0) breaths/minute in the baseline and sham branding periods increased to 8.9 (1.0) breaths/minute during branding, but returned to baseline by the postbranding period. Behaviourally, half of the sea lions exhibited trembling and head and shoulder movements during branding.

  11. Evaluation of in-hospital electrocardiography versus 24-hour Holter for rate control in dogs with atrial fibrillation.

    PubMed

    Gelzer, A R; Kraus, M S; Rishniw, M

    2015-07-01

    To determine if the in-clinic ECG-derived heart rate could predict the at-home Holter-derived 24-hour average heart rate (Holter24h ), and whether it is useful to identify slow versus fast atrial fibrillation in dogs. 82 pairs of 1-minute ECGs and 24-hour Holter recordings were acquired in 34 dogs with atrial fibrillation. The initial 24-hour Holter was used to test if the ECG heart rate can identify dogs with "slow" versus "fast" atrial fibrillation based on a Holter24h threshold value of 140 bpm. ECG heart rate overestimated Holter24h by 26 bpm (95% CI: 3 bpm, 48 bpm; P < 0 · 015) with a 95% limit of agreement of -21 to 83 bpm. The in-clinic ECG-derived heart rate Ä155 bpm had a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 100% for identifying a Holter24h HR Ä140 bpm; an in-clinic ECG-derived HR <160 bpm had a sensitivity and specificity of 91% each. In-clinic ECG assessment of heart rate in dogs with atrial fibrillation does not reliably predict the heart rate in their home environment. However, an in-clinic heart rate greater than 155 bpm is useful in identifying "fast" atrial fibrillation, allowing clinicians to stratify which case may benefit from antiarrhythmic therapy. © 2015 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

  12. Facing emotions in narcolepsy with cataplexy: haemodynamic and behavioural responses during emotional stimulation.

    PubMed

    de Zambotti, Massimiliano; Pizza, Fabio; Covassin, Naima; Vandi, Stefano; Cellini, Nicola; Stegagno, Luciano; Plazzi, Giuseppe

    2014-08-01

    Narcolepsy with cataplexy is a complex sleep disorder that affects the modulation of emotions: cataplexy, the key symptom of narcolepsy, is indeed strongly linked with emotions that usually trigger the episodes. Our study aimed to investigate haemodynamic and behavioural responses during emotional stimulation in narco-cataplexy. Twelve adult drug-naive narcoleptic patients (five males; age: 33.3 ± 9.4 years) and 12 healthy controls (five males; age: 30.9 ± 9.5 years) were exposed to emotional stimuli (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral pictures). Heart rate, arterial blood pressure and mean cerebral blood flow velocity of the middle cerebral arteries were continuously recorded using photoplethysmography and Doppler ultrasound. Ratings of valence and arousal and coping strategies were scored by the Self-Assessment Manikin and by questionnaires, respectively. Narcoleptic patients' haemodynamic responses to pictures overlapped with the data obtained from controls: decrease of heart rate and increase of mean cerebral blood flow velocity regardless of pictures' content, increase of systolic blood pressure during the pleasant condition, and relative reduction of heart rate during pleasant and unpleasant conditions. However, when compared with controls, narcoleptic patients reported lower arousal scores during the pleasant and neutral stimulation, and lower valence scores during the pleasant condition, respectively, and also a lower score at the 'focus on and venting of emotions' dimensions of coping. Our results suggested that adult narcoleptic patients, compared with healthy controls, inhibited their emotion-expressive behaviour to emotional stimulation, and that may be related to the development of adaptive cognitive strategies to face emotions avoiding cataplexy. © 2014 European Sleep Research Society.

  13. Atenolol Is Associated with Lower Day of Surgery Heart Rate as compared to Long and Short-acting Metoprolol

    PubMed Central

    Schonberger, Robert B.; Brandt, Cynthia; Feinleib, Jessica; Dai, Feng; Burg, Matthew M.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives We analyzed the association between outpatient beta-blocker type and day-of-surgery heart rate in ambulatory surgical patients. We further investigated whether differences in day of surgery heart rate between atenolol and metoprolol could be explained by once-daily versus twice-daily dosing regimens. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting VA Hospital Participants Ambulatory surgical patients on chronic atenolol or metoprolol. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Using a propensity-score matched cohort, we compared day of surgery heart rates of patients prescribed atenolol versus metoprolol. We then differentiated between once-daily and twice-daily metoprolol formulations and compared day of surgery heart rates within a general linear model. Day of surgery heart rates in patients prescribed atenolol vs. any metoprolol formulation were slower by a mean of 5.1 beats/min (66.6 vs. 71.7; 95% CI of difference 1.9 to 8.3, p=0.002), a difference that was not observed in preoperative primary care visits. The general linear model demonstrated that patients prescribed atenolol (typically QD dosing) had a mean day of surgery heart rate 5.6 beats/min lower compared to patients prescribed once-daily metoprolol succinate (68.9 vs. 74.5; 95% CI of difference: −8.6 to −2.6, p<0.001) and 3.8 beats/minute lower compared to patients prescribed twice-daily metoprolol tartrate (68.9 vs. 72.7; 95% CI of difference: −6.1 to −1.6, p<0.001). Day of surgery heart rates were similar between different formulations of metoprolol (95% CI of difference: −1.0 to +4.6, p=0.22). Conclusions Atenolol is associated with lower day of surgery heart rate vs. metoprolol. The heart rate difference is specific to the day of surgery and is not explained by once-daily versus twice-daily dosing regimens. PMID:22889605

  14. Association between resting heart rate, metabolic syndrome and cardiorespiratory fitness in Korean male adults.

    PubMed

    Kang, Seol-Jung; Ha, Gi-Chul; Ko, Kwang-Jun

    2017-06-01

    The present study aimed to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome and cardiorespiratory fitness according to resting heart rate of Korean male adults. A total of 11,876 male adults aged 20-65 years who underwent health examinations from 2010 to 2015 at a National Fitness Centre in South Korea were included. Subjects' resting heart rate, cardiorespiratory fitness (VO 2 max), and metabolic syndrome parameters were collected. The subjects were divided into 5 categories (<60 bpm, 60-69 bpm, 70-79 bpm, 80-89 bpm, and ≥90 bpm) of resting heart rate for further analysis. We found that elevated resting heart rate was positively associated with body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose levels ( p  < 0.001, respectively); in contrast, elevated resting heart rate was inversely associated with VO 2 max ( p  < 0.001). When resting heart rate of subjects was categorized into quintiles and analysed, the results showed that the relative risk of metabolic syndrome was 1.53-fold higher (95% CI, 1.34 to 1.82) in the range of 60-69 beats per minute (bpm), 2.08-fold higher (95% CI, 1.77 to 2.45) in the range of 70-79 bpm, 2.28-fold higher (95% CI, 1.73 to 3.00) in the range of 80-89 bpm, and 2.61-fold higher (95% CI, 1.62 to 4.20) in the range of ≥90 bpm, compared to those <60 bpm; this indicated that as resting heart rate increased, the relative risk of metabolic syndrome also increased. Resting heart rate of male adults was found to be associated with cardiorespiratory fitness; the risk factors for metabolic syndrome and relative risk of metabolic syndrome increased as resting heart rate increased.

  15. Heart rate recovery and heart rate variability are unchanged in patients with coronary artery disease following 12 weeks of high-intensity interval and moderate-intensity endurance exercise training.

    PubMed

    Currie, Katharine D; Rosen, Lee M; Millar, Philip J; McKelvie, Robert S; MacDonald, Maureen J

    2013-06-01

    Decreased heart rate variability and attenuated heart rate recovery following exercise are associated with an increased risk of mortality in cardiac patients. This study investigated the effects of 12 weeks of moderate-intensity endurance exercise (END) and a novel low-volume high-intensity interval exercise protocol (HIT) on measures of heart rate recovery and heart rate variability in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Fourteen males with CAD participated in 12 weeks of END or HIT training, each consisting of 2 supervised exercise sessions per week. END consisted of 30-50 min of continuous cycling at 60% peak power output (PPO). HIT involved ten 1-min intervals at 88% PPO separated by 1-min intervals at 10% PPO. Heart rate recovery at 1 min and 2 min was measured before and after training (pre- and post-training, respectively) using a submaximal exercise bout. Resting time and spectral and nonlinear domain measures of heart rate variability were calculated. Following 12 weeks of END and HIT, there was no change in heart rate recovery at 1 min (END, 40 ± 12 beats·min(-1) vs. 37 ± 19 beats·min(-1); HIT, 31 ± 8 beats·min(-1) vs. 35 ± 8 beats·min(-1); p ≥ 0.05 for pre- vs. post-training) or 2 min (END, 44 ± 18 beats·min(-1) vs. 43 ± 19 beats·min(-1); HIT, 42 ± 10 beats·min(-1) vs. 50 ± 6 beats·min(-1); p ≥ 0.05 for pre- vs. post-training). All heart rate variability indices were unchanged following END and HIT training. In conclusion, neither END nor HIT exercise programs elicited training-induced improvements in cardiac autonomic function in patients with CAD. The absence of improvements with training may be attributed to the optimal medical management and normative pretraining state of our sample.

  16. Heart rate is a prognostic risk factor for myocardial infarction: a post hoc analysis in the PERFORM (Prevention of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular Events of ischemic origin with teRutroban in patients with a history oF ischemic strOke or tRansient ischeMic attack) study population.

    PubMed

    Fox, Kim; Bousser, Marie-Germaine; Amarenco, Pierre; Chamorro, Angel; Fisher, Marc; Ford, Ian; Hennerici, Michael G; Mattle, Heinrich P; Rothwell, Peter M

    2013-10-09

    Elevated resting heart rate is known to be detrimental to morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disease, though its effect in patients with ischemic stroke is unclear. We analyzed the effect of baseline resting heart rate on myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with a recent noncardioembolic cerebral ischemic event participating in PERFORM. We compared fatal or nonfatal MI using adjusted Cox proportional hazards models for PERFORM patients with baseline heart rate <70 bpm (n=8178) or ≥70 bpm (n=10,802). In addition, heart rate was analyzed as a continuous variable. Other cerebrovascular and cardiovascular outcomes were also explored. Heart rate ≥70 bpm was associated with increased relative risk for fatal or nonfatal MI (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.03-1.69, P=0.029). For every 5-bpm increase in heart rate, there was an increase in relative risk for fatal and nonfatal MI (11.3%, P=0.0002). Heart rate ≥70 bpm was also associated with increased relative risk for a composite of fatal or nonfatal ischemic stroke, fatal or nonfatal MI, or other vascular death (excluding hemorrhagic death) (P<0001); vascular death (P<0001); all-cause mortality (P<0001); and fatal or nonfatal stroke (P=0.04). For every 5-bpm increase in heart rate, there were increases in relative risk for fatal or nonfatal ischemic stroke, fatal or nonfatal MI, or other vascular death (4.7%, P<0.0001), vascular death (11.0%, P<0.0001), all-cause mortality (8.0%, P<0.0001), and fatal and nonfatal stroke (2.4%, P=0.057). Elevated heart rate ≥70 bpm places patients with a noncardioembolic cerebral ischemic event at increased risk for MI. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The marvel of percutaneous cardiovascular devices in the elderly.

    PubMed

    Guidoin, Robert; Douville, Yvan; Clavel, Marie-Annick; Zhang, Ze; Nutley, Mark; Pîbarot, Philippe; Dionne, Guy

    2010-06-01

    Thanks to minimally invasive procedures, frail and elderly patients can also benefit from innovative technologies. More than 14 million implanted pacemakers deliver impulses to the heart muscle to regulate the heart rate (treating bradycardias and blocks). The first human implantation of defibrillators was performed in early 2000. The defibrillator detects cardiac arrhythmias and corrects them by delivering electric shocks. The ongoing development of minimally invasive technologies has also broadened the scope of treatment for elderly patients with vascular stenosis and aneurysmal disease as well as other complex vascular pathologies. The nonsurgical cardiac valve replacement represents one of the most recent and exciting developments, demonstrating the feasibility of replacing a heart valve by way of placement through an intra-arterial or trans-ventricular sheath. Percutaneous devices are particularly well suited for the elderly as the surgical risks of minimally invasive surgery are considerably less as compared to open surgery, leading to a shorter hospital stay, a faster recovery, and improved quality of life.

  18. Heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa: A clinical approach.

    PubMed

    Kraus, S; Ogunbanjo, G; Sliwa, K; Ntusi, N A B

    2016-01-01

    Despite medical advances, heart failure (HF) remains a global health problem and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is no exception, with decompensated HF being the most common primary diagnosis for patients admitted to hospital with heart disease. In SSA the in-hospital mortality rate of decompensated HF is up to 8.3%. HF is a clinical syndrome that is caused by a diverse group of aetiologies, each requiring unique management strategies, highlighting the need for diagnostic certainty and a broad understanding of the complex pathophysiology of this condition. While there are a number of advanced medical, device and surgical interventions being tailored for HF internationally, the fundamental basic principles of HF management, such as patient education, effective management of congestion and initiation of disease-modifying medical therapies, remain a challenge on our continent. This review addresses both the epidemiology of HF in SSA and principles of management that focus specifically on symptom relief, prevention of hospitalisation and improving survival in this population.

  19. Factors influencing self-care behaviors of African Americans with heart failure: a photovoice project.

    PubMed

    Woda, Aimee; Belknap, Ruth Ann; Haglund, Kristin; Sebern, Margaret; Lawrence, Ashley

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to understand the influences of heart failure (HF) self-care among low income, African Americans. Compared to all other racial groups, African Americans have the highest risk of developing HF, coupled with high mortality and morbidity rates. Using the photovoice method, participants related important lifestyle factors through photography. The participants and researcher met for reflection and discussion 2 h per week for six weeks. Four themes emerged: family support gives me the push I need, social interaction lifts me up, improving my mind to lift depression can improve my heart, and it is important but challenging to follow the HF diet. The findings from this study may assist policy makers, health care professionals, patients, and support systems in understanding the complexity of engaging in HF self-care. This understanding may lead to the development of appropriate patient-centered assessments and interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Amiodarone therapy in chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction: a review of the mortality trials with special attention to STAT-CHF and the GESICA trials. Grupo de Estudio de la Sobrevida en la Insuficiencia Cardiaca en Argentina.

    PubMed

    Pinto, J V; Ramani, K; Neelagaru, S; Kown, M; Gheorghiade, M

    1997-01-01

    Amiodarone appears to reduce sudden death in patients with left ventricular dysfunction resulting from an acute MI or a primary dilated cardiomyopathy, particularly if complex ventricular arrhythmias are present. Amiodarone's beneficial effect on mortality in these patients could be unrelated to its antiarrhythmic effects. Multiple factors could account for the improvement in mortality such as the drug's antiischemic effects, neuromodulating effects, its effect on left ventricular function and on heart rate. Moreover, patients with LV dysfunction who have survived an episode of sudden death would potentially benefit from amiodarone therapy. Future trials are needed to determine the precise subsets(s) of patients who would benefit from the drug and the most efficacious dosing regimen for the drug. Based on available data, amiodarone is the only antiarrhythmic agent which has not been shown to increase mortality in patients with chronic heart failure.

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