title: Evaluation of cardiac autonomic functions in patients with ankylosing spondylitis via heart rate recovery and heart rate variability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate recovery (HRR) in otherwise healthy ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 28 patients with AS and 30 volunteers matched for age and sex were enrolled. All subjects underwent HRV analysis, exercise testing (ET), and transthoracic echocardiography. HRR indices were calculated by subtracting first, second, and third minute heart rates (HR) from the maximal HR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AS and control groups were similar with respect to age (28.7 ± 5.7 vs. 29.3 ± 5.8 years), gender distribution [(male/female) 24/4 vs. 26/4], and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (63.8 ± 2.8% vs. 65.7 ± 3.6%). Mean HRR1 (24.8 ± 4.2 vs. 28.8 ± 5.5, P = 0.001) and HRR2 (42.0 ± 4.4 vs. 48.0 ± 6.3, P = 0.001) values were significantly higher in control group. SDNN, SDANN, RMSDD, and PNN50 significantly decreased; LF and LF/HF increased in AS patients compared with control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with AS has lower HRR and HRV indices with respect to normal subjects. Cardiac autonomic functions might be involved in AS patients even in patients without cardiac symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Sıhhiye, PO 06100, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ergun Baris
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Sercan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okutucu
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Ugur Nadir
authors.initials: UN
authors.lastname: Karakulak
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tulumen
authors.forename: Oya
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Inanici
authors.forename: Kudret
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aytemir
authors.forename: Giray
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kabakci
authors.forename: Lale
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tokgozoglu
authors.forename: Hilmi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozkutlu
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult