Studies of arrhythmia incidence and heart rate variability in patients with stable angina pectoris

• Published in: Polskie archiwum medycyny wewne̦trznej Vol. 101; no. 1; p. 15
• Main Authors: Negrusz-Kawecka, M, Zyśko, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Polish
• Published: Poland 01.01.1999
• Subjects: Angina Pectoris - complications; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - classification; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - diagnosis; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - etiology; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction - complications
• ISSN: 1897-9483

Continuous Holter ECG monitoring is a valuable, easy to perform, non-invasive method of assessing not only cardiac arrhythmias but also heart rate variability and autonomic nervous system function. The aim of the study was to determine cardiac arrhythmias and HRV in patients with stable angina with and without previous myocardial infarction. 156 patients, 92 with and 64 without previous myocardial infarction, were examined. The control group consists of 50 healthy volunteers of the same age and sex. No pharmacological treatment except nitroglycerin was applied 2 days before and during examination, blood electrolytes were normal and 24-hour activity was the same in both examined groups. Heart rate variability was assessed by calculation of indices based on statistical operations on RR intervals (time-domain analysis). As a result of the study it was found out that in patients with stable angina pectoris cardiac arrhythmias occur more often and 24-hour heart rate variability is depressed as well as during daily activity and night resting than in healthy persons. In patients without previous myocardial infarction it was found out that 24-hour heart rate was slower than in patients with previous myocardial infarction, which depended mainly on slower heart rate during night, heart rate variability was not significantly different between these groups.