title: Is there increased sympathetic activity in patients with mitral valve prolapse?
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate autonomic nervous system tone in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed from 24-hour ambulatory Holter recordings in 28 patients with primary MVP and in 28 age and sex matched normal control subjects in a drug-free state. Sixteen of the MVP patients were symptomatic and 12 asymptomatic. Spectral HRV was calculated in terms of low (LF: 0.06-0.15 Hz) and high (HF: 0.15-0.40 Hz) frequency components using fast Fourier transform analysis, and the ratio LF/HF was calculated. Spectral analysis of HRV showed that the MVP patients, taken as a single group, had lower HF and LF and a higher LF/HF ratio than the controls. No significant difference in HRV was found between the 16 symptomatic and the 12 asymptomatic patients, but the symptomatic patients had a significantly higher LF/HF ratio than the controls. Our observations suggest that, during normal daily activities, patients with MVP experience a significant deviation in autonomic nervous system tone with predominance of the sympathetic branch. This predominance is more marked in symptomatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Heraklion University Hospital, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Kochiadakis
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Parthenakis
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Zuridakis
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Rombola
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Chrysostomakis
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Vardas
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000503:physiopathology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004244:Dizziness / Q000503:physiopathology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013575:Syncope / Q000503:physiopathology