Autonomic response to cardiac dysfunction in chronic heart failure: a risk predictor based on autonomic information flow.
BACKGROUND
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is associated with a complex dysfunction of cardiac, cardiovascular, autonomic, and other mechanisms. Autonomic information flow (AIF) characteristics calculated from heart rate patterns were recently found as promising predictors of outcome in several cardiovascular diseases.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prognostic value of AIF indices in CHF patients.


METHODS
We analyzed 24-hour Holter recordings from 200 consecutive CHF patients in sinus rhythm and computed AIF over the shortest possible interval of an interbeat series, namely over one heart beat interval (BDnn), and over longer intervals (12.5-166.7 seconds, PDmVLF), which reflect slower heart rate modulations. End-point for survival analysis over three years (Cox model) was total cardiac death. A prognostic model was built (backward elimination) considering known clinical and functional risk factors, and the ability of AIF indices to add prognostic information to this model assessed.


RESULTS
Out of candidate predictors, New York Heart Association class, left ventricular ejection fraction, peak VO(2,) and systolic pressure were selected as the variables with the highest joint predictive value. When entered into this model, both BDnn and PDmVLF added prognostic information (HR (95%CI): 1.76 (1.00-3.09), P = 0.05, 1.73 (1.05-2.85), P = 0.031 respectively). High risk was associated with reduced fast AIF and increased slower AIF.


CONCLUSIONS
In CHF patients, AIF indices provide prognostic information independent of known risk factors.
Hoyer
Dirk
D
Biomagnetic Center, Department of Neurology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany. dirk.hoyer@biomag.uni-jena.de
Maestri
Roberto
R
La Rovere
Maria Teresa
MT
Pinna
Gian Domenico
GD
D019540:Area Under Curve; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013599:Systole