Age, race, and sex differences in autonomic cardiac function measured by spectral analysis of heart rate variability—The ARIC study

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Abstract

To investigate the distribution of heart rate variability (HRV) spectral power in an unselected sample of the population, and to ascertain the population correlates of HRV, we examined 1,984 healthy persons, aged 45 to 64 years, randomly selected from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study cohort. Resting, supine, 2-minute, beat-to-beat heart rate data were collected between 7 A.M. and 12 noon. The race- and sexadjusted geometric means of low-frequency component (If, 0.025 to 0.15 Hz) were 4.00 and 3.13 (beats/min)2; of high-frequency component (HF, 0.16 to 0.35 Hz), 1.65 and 1.21 (beats/min)2; and of the HFLF ratio, 0.41 and 0.39, for 45-to-54 and 55-to-64 years age groups, respectively (test of mean difference by age, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p = 0.11 for if, HF, and HFLF ratio, respectively). Comparing black with white examinees, the age- and sex-adjusted geometric means of LF were 3.06 and 3.70 (beats/min)2; of HF, 1.66 and 1.36 (beats/min)2; of HFLF, 0.54 and 0.37, respectively (test of mean difference by race, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.01). The age- and race-adjusted geometric means of LF for women and men were 3.12 and 4.10 (beats/min)2; of HF, 1.46 and 1.38 (beats/min)2; and of HFLF, 0.47 and 0.34, respectively (test of mean difference, p < 0.01, p = 0.34, and p < 0.01). We conclude that HRV spectral indexes are associated with age, race, and sex. With increasing age, the parasympathetic and sympathetic spectral power components decrease. Black examinees have a lower LF, higher HF, and higher HFLF ratio than whites. Women have a lower LF, and a higher HFLF ratio than men.

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      AF is more frequent in White than in Black Americans (119). HRV analyses show that Black and women examinees have a lower low-frequency, higher high-frequency, and higher high/low-frequency ratio than Whites (120), suggesting that reduced sympathovagal balance may play a role in sex and racial differences of AF prevalence. J-wave syndrome primarily affects men and rarely women (121).

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    This study was supported by contracts N01-HC-55015, N01-HC-55016, N01-HC-55018, N01-HC-55019, N01-HC-55020, N01-HC55021, and N01-HC-55022 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

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