Improvement of autonomic nervous activity by Waon therapy in patients with chronic heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
We have reported previously that Waon therapy improves cardiac and vascular function, and prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). CHF is characterized by generalized sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Waon therapy on autonomic nervous activity in patients with CHF.


METHODS
Fifty-four patients with CHF, who were receiving conventional therapy for CHF, were divided into Waon therapy and control groups. In the Waon therapy group, 27 patients were treated with medication and Waon therapy. In the control group, 27 patients were treated with only conventional CHF therapy. Cardiac function including cardiac output (CO) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was evaluated by echocardiography. The heart rate variability, such as the coefficient of variation of RR intervals (CVRR), the low-frequency (LF) component, high-frequency (HF) component, the LF norm [LF/(LF+HF)], and HF norm [HF/(LF+HF)], were measured at admission and 4 weeks after treatment.


RESULTS
Echocardiography demonstrated that CO and LVEF significantly increased after 4 weeks in the Waon therapy group, but did not change in the control group. In the Waon therapy group, CVRR, HF, and HF norm significantly increased 4 weeks after Waon therapy. In addition, the LF/HF ratio and LF norm significantly decreased 4 weeks after Waon therapy. In contrast, these parameters remained unchanged in the control group. Moreover, the HF and HF norm were significantly higher, and the LF/HF ratio and LF norm were significantly lower after 4 weeks of Waon therapy group than after 4 weeks of only conventional therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Waon therapy improved cardiac function and autonomic nervous activity by increasing parasympathetic and decreasing sympathetic nervous activity in patients with CHF.
Kuwahata
So
S
Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan.
Miyata
Masaaki
M
Fujita
Shoji
S
Kubozono
Takuro
T
Shinsato
Takuro
T
Ikeda
Yoshiyuki
Y
Hamasaki
Shuichi
S
Kuwaki
Tomoyuki
T
Tei
Chuwa
C
D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology
D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009638:Norepinephrine