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Volume 6 Issue 3 (March, 2018)

Original Articles

Evaluation of heart rate variability in hypertensive and normotensive subjects
Sandeep Harikishan Ghughe, Brijkishor Singh

Background: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a fundamental role in the control of arterial blood pressure and heart rate, and, therefore, may be considered an important pathophysiologic factor in the development of arterial hypertension. The present study was conducted to evaluate heart rate variability in hypertensive patients. Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted on 90 hypertensive patients of both genders. Spectral indices of HRV such as total power (TP), normalized low frequency power (LFnu), normalized high frequency power (HFnu), ratio of low frequency power to high frequency power (LF-HF ratio), standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR intervals (SDNN), root mean square successive difference (rMSSD) and the proportion of NN50 to the total number of NN intervals (pNN50) were assessed. Results: Group I had 50 males and 40 females while group II had 46 males and 44 females. SDNN (ms) in group I was 158.2 and in group II was 144.5, rMSSD (ms) in group I was 42.5 and in group II was 39.5, pNN50 in group I was 14.4 and in group II was 11.8. LFnu in group I was 74.2 and in group II was 88.1, HFnu in group I was 56.4 and in group II was 36.4, LF/HF ratio in group I was 2.68 and in group II was 3.86. Conclusion: HRV can be used as a routine screening test to predict the future risk of hypertension at an earlier stage. There is an increased sympathetic activity and a decreased vagal tone associated with hypertension. Hypertensive elderly patients present decreased heart rate variability and decreased parasympathetic modulation when compared to normotensive elderly. Key words: Heart rate variability, sympathetic, Hypertension

 
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