title: Influence of basic heart rate and sex on heart rate turbulence in healthy subjects.
abstract: Acceleration and deceleration of the heart rate after the occurrence of a ventricular premature complex is characterized as heart rate turbulence (HRT). Two parameters quantify heart rate turbulence: onset and slope. The physiological properties have not been clarified in a large cohort of persons yet. This study evaluated properties of HRT, and focused on the influence of basic heart rate and sex on HRT. Using a special protocol, 95 persons were studied prospectively. HRT and its physiological properties were determined in 95 persons using Holter ECGs. The authors found 24% with a turbulence onset 0% and 5% with a turbulence slope <2.5 ms/RRI. Mean heart rate during Holter differed significantly between women and men (745 vs 817 ms, P < 0.0001). A linear, weighted regression model revealed that an increased heart rate before a ventricular premature complex is associated with a decreased turbulence onset (P < 0.0001). Turbulence slope was attenuated by basic heart rate only in men (P = 0.0022). On the contrary, the study detected no influence of the basic heart rate on turbulence slope in women (P = 0.0015 for the comparison between women and men). Basic heart rate and sex show an influence on HRT and should be considered when using HRT for noninvasive risk stratification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine-Cardiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. joerg.schwab@ukb.uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: Jörg O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eichner
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Veit
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lewalter
authors.forename: Berndt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lüderitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000465:Algorithms; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D018879:Ventricular Premature Complexes / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*