title: Progressive reduction of heart rate variability with eventual sudden death in two patients.
abstract: In two patients with old myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure there was a progressive reduction of heart rate variability and eventual sudden death. The two patients had had three 24 h electrocardiogram recordings within two years of death. The power of two spectral bands was calculated-0.04-0.15 Hz, low frequency power, and 0.15-0.40 Hz, high frequency power. The mean low and high frequency powers over the 24 h recording progressively decreased whereas the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias showed no consistent changes in either patient. The circadian variation in hourly low and high frequency powers in the last 24 h electrocardiogram recordings was much reduced. These results suggest that sequential measurements of heart rate variability may be useful in predicting sudden death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Oita Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saikawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests