Studies of arrhythmia incidence and heart rate variability in patients suffering from cerebral stroke

• Published in: Polskie archiwum medycyny wewne̦trznej Vol. 100; no. 6; p. 515
• Main Authors: Negrusz-Kawecka, M, Kobusiak-Prokopowicz, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Polish
• Published: Poland 01.12.1998
• Subjects: Aged; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - diagnosis; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - epidemiology; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - etiology; Brain Ischemia - complications; Brain Ischemia - diagnostic imaging; Brain Ischemia - epidemiology; Brain Ischemia - physiopathology; Cerebral Hemorrhage - complications; Cerebral Hemorrhage - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Hemorrhage - epidemiology; Cerebral Hemorrhage - physiopathology; Comorbidity; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - epidemiology; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 1897-9483

Patients with cerebral stroke develop electrocardiographic changes concerning the period of ventricular muscle repolarization and cardiac arrhythmias, which may results in the possibility of acute circulatory arrest. ECG monitoring by means of Holter method provides not only information concerning arrhythmias, episodes of ischaemia of the cardiac muscle, but it is also a recognised and generally accepted method of investigation of the autonomic system. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of arrhythmias and heart rate variability in patients suffering from recent cerebral stroke. The studies involved 36 patients, in that 22 women (mean age 67.7 +/- 7.2 years) and 14 men (mean age 66.5 +/- 11.3 years) within first 24 hours after cerebral stroke confirmed by computerised tomography (CT). One the basis of CT scan haemorrhagic stroke was diagnosed in 7 patients and ischaemic stroke, after ruling out haemorrhagic stroke and neurological consultations, in 29 patients. Moreover, all patients revealed hypertension, 12 of them mild degree (1 degree), and 21 of moderate degree (2 degrees), and 3 of severe degree (3 degrees). The control group comprised 65 patients suffering from primary hypertension without concomitant cerebral stroke, matching the study group as to sex and age as well as the degree of hypertension. All of them were submitted to 24-hour Holter monitoring on tape by means of 3-channel registrator MR45, analysis of ECG tracings was carried out according to Optima Jet system manufactured by Oxford. In order to facilitate further analysis, the automatic recording was verified visually and next heart rate variability (HRV) was estimated within 24 hours and separately for day hours 6:00-22:00 and night hours 22:00-6:00. In comparison to patients with hypertension, but without stroke, subjects with hypertension and accompanying cerebral stroke more often reveal premature supraventricular beats, pairs of ventricular beats as well as episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia; they also reveal lower 24-hours heart rate variability.