Abstract
To evalauate the alteration of sympatho-vagal balance after myocardial infarction we compared the spectral components of heart variability of 70 patients at 2 weeks, 6 and 12 months after myocardial infarction with 26 age matched control subjects. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability was characterized in control subjects by two major components at low (LF, ∼0.10 Hz) and high (HF, ∼0.25 Hz) frequency. According to several clinical and experimental observations they can be considered appropriate indices of, respectively sympathetic and vagal neural activities directed to the heart and their ratio an indirect measure of sympatho-vagal balance. In patients at 2 weeks after myocardial infarction there was a significant increase in LF (69±2 versus 53±3 nu) and LF/HF ratio (8±1.1 versus 2±0.3) as well as a diminished HF (17±1 versus 35±3 nu) thus indicating an increased sympathetic and a reduced parasympathetic tone. At 6 and 12 months after myocardial infarction we observed a progressive reduction of LF and LF/HF ratio as well as an increase in HF which suggested a normalization of sympatho-vagal interaction.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hjalmarson, Å., Herlitz, J., Holmberg, S., et al. (1983) ‘The Goteborg metoprolol trial: Effetes on mortality and morbidity in acute myocardial infarction’. Circulation, 67: 126–132
Furberg, CD., Hawkins, CM., Lichstein, E., the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial Study Group. (1984) ‘Effect of propranolol in post infarction patients with mechanical or electrical complications’. Circulation, 69: 761–765
Olsson, G., Rehnqvist N, Sjögren, A. et al. (1985) ‘Long-term treatment with metoprolol after myocardial infarction: Report on three year mortality and morbidity’. J Am Coll Cardiol, 5: 1428–1437
Webb, SW., Adgey, AAJ., Pantridge, JF. (1972) ‘Autonomic disturbance at onset of acute myocardial infarction’. Br Med J, 3: 89–92
Akselrod, S., Gordon, D., Ubel, FA., Shannon, DC., Barger, AC., Cohen, RJ. (1981) ‘Power spectrum analysis of heart rate fluctuation: A quantitative probe of beat to beat cardiovascular control’. Science 213: 220–222
Pomeranz, M., Macaulay, RJB., Caudill, MA., Kutz, I., Adam, D., Gordon, D., Kilborn, KM., Barger, AC., Shannon, DC., Cohen, RJ., Benson, M. (1985) ‘Assessment of autonomic function in humans by heart rate spectral analysis’. Am J Physiol, 248: H151–H153
Pagani, M., Lombardi, F., Guzzetti, S., Rimoldi, O., Furlan, R., Pizzinelli, P., Sandrone, G., Malfatto, G., Dell’Orto, S., Piccaluga, E,, Turiel, M., Baselli, G., Cerutti, S., Malliani, A. (1986) ‘Power spectral analysis of heart rate and arterial pressure variabilities as a marker of sympatho-vagal interaction in man and conscious dog’. Circ Res, 59: 178–193
Lombardi, F., Sandrone, G., Pernpruner, S., Sala, R., Garimoldi, M., Cerutti, S., Baselli, G., Pagani, M., Malliani, A. (1987) ‘Heart rate variability as an index of sympathovagal interaction after acute myocardial infarction’. Am J Cardiol 60: 1239–1245
Brovelli, M., Baselli, G., Cerutti, S., Guzzetti, S., Liberati, D., Lombardi, F., Malliani, A., Pagani, M., Pizzinelli, P. (1983) ‘Computerized analysis for an experimental validation of neurophysiological models of heart rate control’. Comps in Cardiol 205–208
Ewing, DJ., Neilson, JMM., Travis, P. (1984) ‘New method for assessing cardiac parasympathetic activity using 24-hour electrocardiograms’. Br Heart J, 52: 396–402
Fouad, FM., Tarazi, RC., Ferrario, CM., Fighaly, S., Alicandri, C. (1984) ‘Assessment of parasympathetic control of heart rate by a non-invasive method’. Am J Physiol 246: H838–H842
Furlan, R., Guzzetti, S., Crivellaro, W., Dassi, S., Tinelli, M., Baselli, G., Cerutti, S., Lombardi, F., Pagani, M., Malliani, A. (1990) ‘Continuous 24H assessment of the neural regulation of systemic arterial pressure and R-R variabilities in ambulant subjects’. Circulation (in press)
Lombardi, F., Montano, N., Finocchiaro, ML., Gnecchi Ruscone, T., Baselli, G., Cerutti, S., Malliani, A. (1990) ‘Spectral analysis of sympathetic discharge in decerebrate cats’. J Autonom Nerv Syst, (in press)
Eckberg, DL., Drabinsky, M., Braunwald, E. (1971) ‘Defective cardiac parasympathetic control in patients with heart disease’. N Eng J Med, 285: 877–881
Kleiger, RE., Miller, JP., Bigger, JT., Moss, AJ., and the multicenter post-infarction research group. (1987) ‘Decreased heart rate variability and its association with increased mortality after acute myocardial infarction’. Am J Cardiol 59: 256–262
La Rovere, MT., Specchia, G., Mortara, A., Schwartz, PJ. (1988) ‘Baroreflex sensitivity, clinical corelates and cardiovascular mortality among patients with a first myocardial infarction. A prospective study’. Circulation, 78: 816–824
Schwartz, PJ., Zaza, A., Pala, M., Locati, E., Beria, G., Zanchetti, A. (1988) ‘Baroreflex sensitivity and its evolution during the first year after myocardial infarction’. J Am Coll Cardiol, 12: 629–636
Malliani A. (1982) ‘Cardiovascular sympathetic afferent fibers’. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol, 94: 11–74
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lombardi, F., Sandrone, G., Sala, R., Cerutti, S., Malliani, A. (1990). The autonomic disturbance accompanying myocardial infarction. In: Descovich, G., Gaddi, A., Magri, G., Lenzi, S. (eds) Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Disease. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0731-7_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0731-7_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6814-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-0731-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive