title: Evaluation of heart rate variability in patients with coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study compared heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in patients with coronary artery ectasia (CAE) and coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 60 consecutive patients with CAE (14 women; mean age 51.63±7.44 years), 60 consecutive patients with CA (15 women; mean age 53.67±9.31 years), and 59 healthy individuals (13 women; mean age 52.85±8.19 years). Electrocardiograms, 24-hour Holter analyses, and routine biochemical tests were performed, and clinical characteristics were evaluated. Coronary angiography images were analyzed. Time-domain HRV parameters, including the standard deviation (SD) of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) and the root mean square of difference in successive normal-to-normal intervals (RMSSD) were evaluated, as were frequency-domain HRV parameters including low-frequency (LF), very low-frequency (VLF), high-frequency (HF), the proportion derived by dividing low- and high-frequency (LF/HF), and total power (TP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  SDNN was lower in both the CAE and CAD groups, compared to the healthy group (140.85±44.21, 96.51±31.28, and 181.05±48.67, respectively). A significant difference in RMSSD values among the groups was determined (p=0.004). Significantly decreased VLF and HF values were found in the CAE group, compared with the healthy group (VLF p<0.001; HF, p=0.007). TP, VLF, and HF values were significantly lower (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively), but LF and LF/HF values were significantly higher (p<0.001 for both) in the CAD group than in the healthy group. TP values were significantly higher (p<0.001), and LF and LF/HF values were lower in the CAE group, compared with the CAD group (p<0.001 for both).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A decrease in vagal modulation or an increase in sympathetic activity of cardiac function, assessed by HRV analysis, is worse in patients with CAD than in patients with CAE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey. bserhatyildiz@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Bekir Serhat
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Yıldız
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, İzmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Özkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, İzmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, İzmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hayrettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Özkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf İzzettin
authors.initials: Yİ
authors.lastname: Alihanoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: İsmail Doğu
authors.initials: İD
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Evrengül
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Havane Asuman
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kaftan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003323:Coronary Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged