Influences of atenolol and enalapril on heart rate variability in the patients with myocardial infarction

Objective To analyze the effect of atenolol and enalapril on patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in order to displaying the effect of medicine on the function of autonomous nervous system. Methods The patients with AMI were randomizedly divided into three groups, atenolol group, enalapril group, and treatment control group. Holter and heart rate variability (HRV) for these patients were recorded and analyzed before discharge, in half year, and in one year after discharge. Results Forty-nine cases with AMI were included in the study, age 33 to 75 years old, 32 men and 16 women. There were 16 AMI cases in atenolol group, 17 cases in enalapril group, 16 cases in treatment control group. The HRV of the AMI patients in the atenolol and enalapril group were greater than that in the treatment control group(P0.05), and there was no difference between the patients in atenolol group and enalapril group(P0.05). The HRV parameters were improved in half year and one year gradually compared to those in the patients before discharge (P0.05). The HRV parameters of all the patients in the acute phase, half year, or one year after the onset of AMI were smaller than those in the normal controls. Conclusion Atenolol and enalapril are useful to improve the HRV of the AMI patients.