title: Differences between heart rate and blood pressure variability in schizophrenia.
abstract: Heart rate and blood pressure variability parameters were assessed to determine the risk of cardiac mortality in schizophrenia. We investigated 21 acute, unmedicated patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 21 matched controls. Cardiovascular parameters obtained included heart rate variability, blood pressure variability, cardiac output and left ventricular work index. All parameters investigated were analyzed using linear and non-linear techniques. These investigations revealed increased left ventricular work index and reduced heart rate variability. Furthermore, blood pressure was significantly higher compared to controls, whereas its variability was unchanged. We conclude that our results reflect autonomic cardiovascular dysregulation in acute schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany. karl-juergen.baer@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Karl-Jürgen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Bär
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Boettger
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voss
mesh_terms: D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*