title: Selection of optimal dose of beta-blocker treatment in myocardial infarction patients based on changes in synchronization between 0.1 Hz oscillations in heart rate and peripheral microcirculation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Selection of the optimal dose of beta-blocker treatment in myocardial infarction (MI) patients is problematic because of a lack of well-established guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated changes in synchronization between 0.1 Hz oscillations in heart rate (HR) and plethysmographic peripheral microcirculation in response to a tilt-table test and to 3-month treatment with the highest tolerated beta-blocker (metoprolol) dose in 43 patients aged between 41 and 77 years with acute MI 6 months prior to the start of the study. Before the study the patients were treated with small doses of beta-blocker. Phase differences between HR and peripheral microcirculation oscillations were used to measure the degree of synchronization (S), and relative change in S from horizontal position was used to characterize the response to vertical tilt.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two groups of MI patients matched for clinical characteristics were identified on the basis of the results. The first group was composed of patients with decreased S as a response to vertical tilt at the beginning of the study. The patients with increased S during vertical tilt before treatment with the highest tolerated beta-blocker dose were attributed to the second group. The response to vertical tilt in the first group of patients was postulated to indicate the need to increase beta-blocker dose, and in turn, the response in the second group to indicate an already adequate beta-blocker dose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessment of synchronization of 0.1  Hz HR and peripheral microcirculation oscillations as a response to a tilt test can possibly be used as a guideline for selecting beta-blocker dose in post-MI patients.
authors.affiliation: Saratov Research Institute of Cardiology, Saratov, Russia. antonkis@list.ru
authors.forename: Anton R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kiselev
authors.forename: Vladimir I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Gridnev
authors.forename: Mikhail D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Prokhorov
authors.forename: Anatoly S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Karavaev
authors.forename: Olga M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Posnenkova
authors.forename: Vladimir I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Ponomarenko
authors.forename: Boris P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Bezruchko
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017156:Photoplethysmography / Q000379:methods; D018667:Tilt-Table Test
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D008790:Metoprolol