Heart rate variability in chronic alcoholics: a follow-up study.
Heart rate variability (HRV) was studied in 11 chronic alcoholic subjects, 1-30 days after the beginning of abstinence and again 5, 12 and 24 weeks later. Two patients could be re-examined after 19 and 22 months, respectively. In the follow-up study, the total patient group showed a statistically significant increase in HRV with prolonged abstinence of at least 6 months. No recovery of efferent vagal function was found in 4 patients. It is suggested that the vagal neuropathy may improve in chronic alcoholics, but perhaps only in patients with a short to moderately long duration of drinking history or a functional rather than an organic vagal damage.
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*