title: Long-term carvedilol therapy increases parasympathetic nervous system activity in chronic congestive heart failure.
abstract: To determine the effect of beta blockade on parasympathetic nervous system activity, we assessed RR variability during 24-hour Holter monitoring in 10 patients with congestive heart failure before and after 3 to 4 months of treatment with the beta blocker carvedilol. High-frequency power increased from 26 to 64 ms2, root-mean-square of successive differences in RR interval increased from 14.3 to 23.7 ms2, and percentage of absolute differences >50 ms between successive normal RR intervals increased from 0.8% to 4.7%, all p <0.01, indicating a substantial increase in parasympathetic modulation of RR intervals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Circulatory Physiology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Bigger
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bloomfield
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krum
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Steinman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sackner-Bernstein
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Packer
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077261:Carvedilol; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004077:Digoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002227:Carbazoles; D011412:Propanolamines; D000077261:Carvedilol; D004077:Digoxin