Heart rate variability in neurally mediated reflex syncope.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in patients with neurally mediated reflex syncope.


METHODS
Thirty-three patients (10 men, age range 16-50 years) who were scheduled to undergo head-upright tilt test (HUTT) with a typical history of vasovagal syncope (VVS) underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring in an attempt to study HRV parameters. Sixteen individuals without syncope and similar baseline characteristics made up the control group.


RESULTS
Seventeen of the 33 syncopal patients showed HUTT positivity. All the time domain HRV parameters except the mean RR interval were higher in the HUTT (+) syncopal patients than in the negative responders. Although not statistically significant, the positive responders had higher NN50, pNN50, RMSSD and SDNNi values than the control group. HUTT (-) VVS patients had lower SDNN and SDANN values when compared with the control group. The other HRV parameters did not differ significantly between the HUTT (-) patients and the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased parasympathetic tonus as reflected by significantly higher HRV parameters is associated with a greater frequency of HUTT positivity in patients with syncope and no organic heart disease.
Arslan
Uğur
U
Gazi University School of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Ankara, Turkey. ugurarslan5@yahoo.com
Ozdemir
Murat
M
Türkoğlu
Sedat
S
Yazici
Güliz Erdem
GE
Cengel
Atiye
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000503:physiopathology*