Systolic blood pressure but not electrocardiogram QRS duration is associated with heart rate variability (HRV): a cross-sectional study in rural Australian non-diabetics

Abstract

BackgroundA positive correlation between ECG derived QRS duration and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters had previously been reported in young healthy adults. We note this study used a narrow QRS duration range, and did not adjust for systolic blood pressure. Our aims are to investigate associations between systolic blood pressure (SBP), QRS duration and HRV in a rural aging population.MethodsA retrospective cross sectional population was obtained from the CSU Diabetes Screening Research Initiative data base where 200 participants had no diabetes or pre-diabetes. SBP data were matched with ECG derived QRS duration and HRV parameters. HRV parameters were calculated from R-R intervals. Resting 12-lead electrocardiograms were obtained from each subject using a Welch Allyn PC-Based ECG system.ResultsPearson correlation analysis revealed no statistically significant associations between HRV parameters and QRS duration. No significant mean differences in HRV parameter subgroups across defined QRS cut-offs were found. SBP > 146 mmHg was associated with increasing QRS durations, however this association disappeared once models were adjusted for age and gender. SBP was also significantly associated with a number of HRV parameters using Pearson correlation analysis, including high frequency (HF) (p < 0.05), HFln (p < 0.02), RMSDD (p < 0.02) and non-linear parameters; ApEN (p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with increasing SBP while the low frequency to high frequency ratio (LF/HF) increased with increasing SBP (p < 0.03).ConclusionsOur results do not support associations between ECG derived R-R derived HRV parameters and QRS duration in aging populations. We suggest that ventricular conduction as determined by QRS duration is independent of variations in SA-node heart rate variability.

Baseline Framingham risk score does not predict future ECG-derived QRS duration over an average of 3.3 years

“…A limitation to our study is the use of an averaged 10 s, 12-lead ECG lead in order to obtain QRS duration. On the other hand, QRS duration from short ECG recordings has been previously used in large population studies [21,22]. We do not have data on medications that may have influenced QRS duration in this study.…”

Comparison of the Cardiovascular Effects of Extreme Psychological and Physical Stress Tests in Male Soccer Players

“…Lee at al. [ 24 ] found that all HRV parameters were associated with the changes in systolic blood pressure. We did not find any correlation between blood pressure and HRV values for either the physical or the psychological stress tests—neither among resting nor delta values.…”

“…Mancia and Grassi [ 23 ] state that it is possible that the increased sympathetic drive interacts with blood pressure (BP). Lee et al [ 24 ] found that HRV indices were associated with an increase in systolic blood pressure. Systolic BP increases in a curvilinear manner as the load of treadmill running or cycling exercise increases; after the exercise, it takes 10–20 min to return to resting levels.…”