Analysis of heart rate variability in the patients with essential hypertension and coronary heart disease

Objective To study autonomic nerve regulator character and arrhythmias in the patients with essential hypertension(EH) and coronary heart disease(CHD). Methods The heart rate variability(HRV) and arrhythmias in 50 EH, 44 CHD, 52 EH + CHD patients and 35 healeh elderly subjects were investigated. Results There were significant differences of HRV in the patients with EH, CHD and healthy elderly subjects(P＜0.05).There was much significant difference of HRV between the patients with EH + CHD and healthy elderly subjects(P＜0.01), but no significant difference of HRV between the patients with EH and CHD(P＞0.05). The incidence rate of the premature atrial contraction, premature ventriculax contraction and atrial tachycardia in EH, CHD, EH+CHD and healthy elderly subjects, there were much significant differences( P＜0.01 ). Except the incidence rate of premature atrial contraction there was significant difference between the patients in CHD and EH + CHD (P＜0.05) ,and no significant differences of the incidence rate of other kinds of arrhythmias in the patients with EH,CHD and EH + CHD(P＞0.05 ). Conclusion The autonomic never function of EH and CHD patients was damaged, and the incidence rate of arrhythmias was increased(the premature atrial contraction often happened, then the premature ventricular contraction), and arrhymias happened in EH + CHD patients is most oftenly. The vagal hypoacfivity and sympathetic hyperactivity were major causes of reduction of HRV and probable causes in the elderly patients. Key words: Hypertension; Coronary disease; Heart rate; Arrhy thmia; Aged