Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Modulation of heart rate variability by estrogen in young women undergoing induction of ovulation

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Estrogens are involved in the modulation of the cardiovascular system, yet their effects in young women remains largely unknown. Women who undergo ovulation induction treatments attain extremely high estrogen concentrations during a very short time period. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of an acute increase in estrogens on the autonomic nervous system modulation of heart rate variability (HRV). A total of 27 women undergoing ovulation induction and 14 normally menstruating women were prospectively studied. HRV was assessed during nadir and peak estrogen using time domain and power spectral density analyses. A significant increase in high-frequency spectral power (243 ± 77 vs. 188 ± 73 ms2/Hz, P < 0.01) with a significant decrease in the ratio of low to high-frequency power was observed during estrogen peak in women undergoing induction of ovulation. The acute increase in estrogen in women undergoing ovulation induction was associated with vagal activation and altered sympathovagal balance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bloomfield DM, Magnano A, Bigger JT Jr, Rivadeneira H, Parides M, Steinman RC (2001) Comparison of spontaneous vs. metronome-guided breathing on assessment of vagal modulation using RR variability. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 280:H1145–H1150

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heart rate variability (1996) Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use. Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and The North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. Eur Heart J 17:354–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuo TB, Lin T, Yang CC, Li CL, Chen CF, Chou P (1999) Effect of aging on gender differences in neural control of heart rate. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 277:H2233–H2239

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leicht AS, Hirning DA, Allen GD (2003) Heart rate variability and endogenous sex hormones during the menstrual cycle in young women. Exp Physiol 88:441–446. doi:10.1113/eph8802535

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mendelsohn ME, Karas RH (1999) The protective effects of estrogen on the cardiovascular system. N Engl J Med 340:1801–1811. doi:10.1056/NEJM199906103402306 Review

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mercuro G, Podda A, Pitzalis L, Zoncu S, Mascia M, Melis GB, Rosano GMC (2000) Evidennce of a role of endogenous estrogen in the modulation of autonomic nervous system. Am J Cardiol 85:787–789. doi:10.1016/S0002-9149(99)00865-6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Minson CT, Halliwill JR, Young TM, Joyner MJ (2000) Sympathetic activity and baroreflex sensitivity in young women taking oral contraceptives. Circulation 102:1473–1476

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Niskanen L, Laitinen T, Tuppurainen M, Saarikoski S, Kroger H, Alhava E, Hartikainen J (2002) Does postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy affect cardiac autonomic regulation in osteoporotic women? Menopause 9:52–57. doi:10.1097/00042192-200201000-00008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pines A, Fisman EZ, Drory Y, Shapira I, Averbuch M, Eckstein N, Motro M, Levo Y, Ayalon D (1998) The effects of sublingual estradiol on left ventricular function at rest and exercise in postmenopausal women: an echocardiographic assessment. Menopause 5:79–85

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Princi T, Parco S, Accardo A, Radillo O, De Seta F, Guaschino S (2005) Parametric evaluation of heart rate variability during the menstrual cycle in young women. Biomed Sci Instrum 41:340–345

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raemakers D, Ector H, Aubert AE, Rubens A, Van de Werf F (1998) Heart rate variability and heart rate in healthy volunteers. Is the female autonomic nervous system cardioprotective? Eur Heart J 19:1334–1341. doi:10.1053/euhj.1998.1084

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosa Brito-Zurita O, Posadas-Romero C, Hermosillo AG, Zamora-Gonzalez J, Hernandez-Ono A, Cardoso-Saldana G, Torres-Tamayo M (2003) Estrogen effect on heart rate variability in hypertensive postmenopausal women. Maturitas 44:39–48. doi:10.1016/S0378-5122(02)00294-3

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosano GM, Patrizi R, Leonardo F, Ponikowski P, Collins P, San Chierchia SL (1997) Effect of estrogen replacement therapy on heart rate variability and heart rate in healthy postmenopausal women. Am J Cardiol 80:815–817. doi:10.1016/S0002-9149(97)00528-6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosano GMC, Leonardo F, Dicandia C, Sheiban I, Pagnotta P, Pappone C, Chierchia SL (2000) Acute electrophysiologic effect of estradiol 17β in menopausal women. Am J Cardiol 86:1385–1387. doi:10.1016/S0002-9149(00)01251-0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan SM, Goldberger AL, Pincus SM, Mietus J, Lipsitz LA (1994) Gender and age-related differences in heart rate dynamics: are women more complex than men? J Am Coll Cardiol 24:1700–1707

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saleh TM, Connell BJ (2000) 17β-estradiol modulates baroreflex sensitivity and autonomic tone of female rats. J Auton Nerv Syst 80:148–161. doi:10.1016/S0165-1838(00)00087-4

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sato N, Miyake S, Akatsu J, Kumashiro M (1995) Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability in healthy young women during the normal menstrual cycle. Psychosom Med 57:331–335

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz J, Freeman R, Frischman W (1995) Clinical pharmacology of estrogens: cardiovascular actions and cardioprotective benefits of replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. J Clin Pharmacol 35:314–329

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sites CK, Tischler MD, Blackman JA, Niggel J, Fairbank JT, O’Connell M, Ashikaga T (1999) Effect of short-term hormone replacement therapy on left ventricular mass and contractile function. Fertil Steril 71:137–143. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(98)00398-7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stein PK, Kleiger RE, Rottman JN (1997) Differing effects of age on heart rate variability in men and women. Am J Cardiol 80:302–305. doi:10.1016/S0002-9149(97)00350-0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Virtanen I, Polo-Kantola P, Erkkola R, Polo O, Ekholm E (1999) Climacteric vasomotor symptoms do not imply autonomic dysfunction. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 106:155–164

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weissman A, Lowenstein L, Peleg A, Thaler I, Zimmer EZ (2006) Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability during the 100-g oral glucose tolerance test in pregnant women. Diabetes Care 29:571–574. doi:10.2337/diacare.29.03.06.dc05-2009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yildirir A, Kabakci G, Akgul E, Tokgozoglu L, Oto A (2002) Effects of menstrual cycle on cardiac autonomic innervation as assessed by heart rate variability. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 7:60–63. doi:10.1111/j.1542-474X.2001.tb00140.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yildirir A, Kabakci G, Yarali H, Aybar F, Akgul E, Bukulmez O, Tokgozoglu L, Gurgan T, Oto A (2001) Effects of hormone replacement therapy on heart rate variability in postmenopausal women. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 6:280–284. doi:10.1111/j.1542-474X.2001.tb00119.x

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, POB 9602, 31096, Haifa, Israel

    Amir Weissman, Lior Lowenstein & Abraham Lightman

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bnei-Zion Hospital, Haifa, Israel

    Joseph Tal, Gonen Ohel & Ilan Calderon

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Gonen Ohel, Ilan Calderon & Abraham Lightman

Authors
  1. Amir Weissman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lior Lowenstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joseph Tal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gonen Ohel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ilan Calderon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Abraham Lightman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amir Weissman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weissman, A., Lowenstein, L., Tal, J. et al. Modulation of heart rate variability by estrogen in young women undergoing induction of ovulation. Eur J Appl Physiol 105, 381–386 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0914-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0914-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation