Heart Rate Variability in Essential Hypertension Part III: The Influence of the Physiologic Stimulation on Heart Rate Variability in Hypertension

Abstract

Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is a well established method for assessing the autonomic nervous system activity upon the regulation of the circulatory system, providing provides the possibility of the quantification of the sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart. Heart rate variability analysis enables to assess the influence of specified factors on the autonomic regulation of the circulatory system. It has been shown that several physiologic stimuli enhancing sympathetic activity, e.g. upright body position, tilt test, physical activity, mental stress have a strong impact on HRV components. In hypertensive patients the influence of the upright body position on HRV components — increase of LF and decrease of HF — is less pronounced than in healthy volunteers. Similarly, in hypertension there is observed less pronounced increase of LF and decrease of HF during passive tilt. The augmentation of the changes of HRV components in the course of tilt depends on the stage of hypertension. The influence of other factors stimulating autonomic nervous system — physical activity and mental stress — is not accurately described and needs further investigation.