Key result
Moderate or intense menopausal symptoms are linked to ~28% lower HRV versus mild symptoms.
Why the study?
It is unclear which heart rate variability index reflects autonomic imbalance related to menopausal symptoms or how these indices relate to the menopausal state.
Does heart rate variability correlate with the intensity of menopausal symptoms in women in menopausal transition and post-menopause?
Cross-Sectional (n=109)
Yes
Does heart rate variability correlate with the intensity of menopausal symptoms in women in menopausal transition and post-menopause?
Effect estimate: Cohen's d 0.53
Absolute Event Rate: 22.7% vs 31.4%
p-value: p=0.005
Reduced heart rate variability is associated with more intense menopausal symptoms, suggesting decreased vagal control in these patients.
Reduced HRV was associated with more intense menopausal symptoms; hypothesis-generating observation requiring prospective validation before clinical consideration.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) represents cardiac autonomic behavior and have been related to menopausal symptoms, mainly vasomotor symptoms and their imbalance to cardiovascular risk. It is not clear in the literature which index represents this imbalance and what is their involvement with the menopausal state. The aim of this study was to evaluate HRV in menopausal transition and post-menopausal symptoms with different intensities. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Rio Branco, State of Acre, Brazil from October 2016 to July 2017. We used Kupperman-Blatt Menopausal Index (KMI) to measure menopausal symptoms intensity. HRV analysis was performed based on the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. HRV is lower in the group with moderate/intense menopausal symptoms compared to mild symptoms. (RMSSD: p = 0.005, Cohen's d = 0.53, pNN50: p = 0.0004, Cohen's d = 0.68; HF: p = 0.024, Cohen's d = 0.44). There was association between HRV and KMI (RMSSD: r = -1.248, p = 0.004; and pNN50: r = -0.615, p: 0.029) in inverse relation to the intensity of vasomotor symptoms in women in TM. In conclusion, HRV was able to distinguish menopausal symptoms, indicating reduced vagal control in women with more intense symptoms.
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Martinelli et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Menopausal symptoms (n=109). Moderate/intense menopausal symptoms vs. Mild menopausal symptoms was evaluated on Heart Rate Variability (RMSSD) (Cohen's d 0.53, p=0.005). Women with moderate or intense menopausal symptoms had significantly lower heart rate variability (RMSSD) compared to those with mild symptoms (22.70 vs 31.40 ms, p=0.005).
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