Older adults exhibited lower mean heart rate and HRV parameters compared to younger adults across resting, cognitive task, and recovery conditions, reflecting declined cardiac autonomic control.
Observational (n=64)
Does aging alter cardiac autonomic control measured by heart rate variability at rest and during mental stress in healthy adults?
Aging is associated with decreased parasympathetic activity and altered cardiac autonomic control, which can be assessed using heart rate variability during rest and cognitive stress.
Our goal was to investigate age-related differences in cardiac autonomic control by means of heart rate variability (HRV). For this purpose, 30 healthy older and 34 younger adults were studied during three different conditions: (i) during resting state, (ii) during the execution of two cognitive tasks, and (iii) during the subsequent recovery phase. Mean heart rate and HRV parameters were higher in younger compared to older participants during all three conditions. While the mean heart rate was higher in older adults during the cognitive tasks compared to the resting state, it did not change in younger adults. In contrast, the change in HRV during the three conditions did not differ between age groups. Our results suggest decreased parasympathetic activity reflecting declined cardiac autonomic control with aging. In conclusion, HRV analysis could support the assessment of normal age-related alterations in cardiac autonomic control at resting state and in response to cognitive demands.
Grässler et al. (Sat,) conducted a observational in Healthy adults (n=64). Cognitive tasks vs. Resting state and recovery phase was evaluated on Mean heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters. Older adults exhibited lower mean heart rate and HRV parameters compared to younger adults across resting, cognitive task, and recovery conditions, reflecting declined cardiac autonomic control.