Reliability of heart rate variability measurements in patients with a history of myocardial infarction

• DOI: 10.1042/cs20090183
• Publication Date: 2009-06-11T13:02:50Z
• Authors: Roberto Maestri; Grzegorz Raczak; Ludmila Danilowic...; Antoni Torunski; Adam Sukiennik; Jacek Kubica; Maria Teresa La R...; Gian Domenico Pinna
• Keywords: Coefficient of variation; RR interval

Despite a well-established prognostic value in cardiac patients, HRV (heart rate variability) indexes have been used little the clinical setting. Poor reliability of measurements might be possible explanation for this. In present study, we assessed short-term post-MI (myocardial infarction) patients. We studied 61 MI patients [50 males; age, 59+/-8 years; and LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction), 46+/-6%; values are means +/-S.D.],who underwent 5+5 min ECG recording during spontaneous paced breathing on two consecutive days. Standard time-domain [SDNN (S.D. RR interval values) RMSSD (root- mean-square successive differences)] frequency-domain [LF (low-frequency) HF (high-frequency) power, LF/HF] were computed. Absolute relative by 95% limits random variation ICC (intra-class correlation coefficient). The agreement between classifying at low or high risk, according to different cut-points, sample size needed detect clinically relevant change, also assessed. During breathing, individual changes test-retest ranged from -41 + 61% (SDNN; best case) -76 316% (LF/HF; worst case). 0.72 0.81. Most (79-90 %) assigned same class measurements. Paced did not improve reliability. conclusion, parameters may large day-to-day variations, making detection treatment effects difficult; however, analysis consistency classification repeated tests indicate that fulfill criteria required diagnostic purposes.