title: Heart rate variability--current diagnosis of the cardiac autonomic neuropathy. A review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The autonomic nervous system is one of the major homeostatic regulatory systems of the body. Detection of cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN), reflected by reduced heart rate variability (HRV), is an independent adverse prognostic factor: sympathovagal balance failure with a sympathetic dominance is the main trigger for lethal arrhythmias and sudden death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PubMed database based on original articles from 1983 to 2013 and the author´s clinical experience. This review covers the current status of the methodology and the clinical uses of HRV, especially in the field of internal medicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heart rate variability is making a valuable contribution to the diagnosis of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction and CAN. It can be assessed from short-term and long-term ECG recordings. It is one of the few methods that allow outpatient CAN diagnosis, monitoring the progress, therapeutic effect and evaluation of patient prognosis. It is used as an independent prognostic factor in combination with other recognized risk factors in risk stratifying after myocardial infarction. It is a unique method of CAN diagnosis particularly in diabetology. Its diagnostic and prognostic potential in other medical fields is being intensively explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III - Nephrology, Rheumatology and Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Metelka
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors