Heart Rate Variability Analysis in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

Background. Very few studies investigate the role of the autonomic nervous system in allergic rhinitis. In this study, we evaluated the autonomic nervous system in allergic rhinitis patients using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. Methods. Eleven patients with allergic rhinitis and 13 healthy controls, aged between 19 and 40 years old, were enrolled in the study. Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was based on clinical history, symptoms, and positive Phadiatop test. Electrocardiographic recordings on the sitting and supine positions were obtained for HRV analysis. Results. In the supine position, there were no significant statistical differences in very-low-frequency power (VLF, ≤0.04 Hz), low-frequency power (LF, 0.04–0.15 Hz), high-frequency power (HF, 0.15–0.40 Hz), and the ratio of LF to HF (LF/HF) between the patient and control groups. The mean RR intervals significantly increased, while LF% and LF/HF significantly decreased in the patient group in the sitting position. Moreover, mean RR intervals, LF, and LF/HF, which were significantly different between the two positions in the control group, did not show a significant change with the posture change in the patient group. Conclusion. These suggest that patients with allergic rhinitis may have poor sympathetic modulation in the sitting position. Autonomic dysfunction may therefore play a role in the pathophysiology of allergic rhinitis.

Increased Heart Rate Variability in Allergic and Highly Trait Anxious Individuals

“…We hypothesize that allergic inflammatory reaction or atopic disposition can be a general factor explaining our results. Both systemic sympathetic withdrawal described by Shahabi et al [15], and parasympathetic predominance due to regulatory function of anti-inflammatory pathway [13], can serve as probable mechanisms of observed effect. This issue, however, needs to be further studied.…”

“…These results also indicate that there could be a relation between parasympathetic modulation and symptom severity in atopic dermatitis, as acute AD symptoms were positively correlated with parasympathetic HRV indices. Similarly, Lan et al [13] described lowered HR and lowered LF (low frequency) HRV and LF/HF (low to high frequency ratio) in allergic rhinitis patients when in supine position. These data suggest lowered sympathetic modulation in AR patients.…”

“…One of possible mechanisms of hypocortisolism is it being a result of chronic activation of HPA axis and, therefore, its inhibition through feedback regulation [7]. Similarly, autonomic nervous system dysregulation was described, however, while some studies showed sympathetic over-activation in allergy [5,8,9], other studies documented parasympathetic predominance [10][11][12][13].…”

Allergy and high trait anxiety are related to increases in heart rate variability: results of naturalistic long-term design study

“…Recent HRV studies, however, show that allergic patients exhibited an increase in overall HRV, as well as in HRV on respiratory frequencies. Increased HRV in adults suffering from allergic rhinitis (AR) (19,20) as well as children (21), imply parasympathetic predominance and/or sympathetic withdrawal in AR. Similar findings were obtained for atopic dermatitis (AD) as well (22).…”

“…vol 50, n 1, [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]2018 natural conditions (19,26), we investigated HRV indices and subjective experience of research subjects in relation to stressors during their daily lives. A design with repeated measurements of HRV and subjective self-assessment of experienced stress during longer time period was applied here.…”