Key result
Baseline anxiety linked to ~50% less LF:HF ratio variability during training.
Why the study?
The study examined variations in cardioautonomic lability during the RCMP Cadet Training Program between cadets starting training who did or did not screen positive for one or more mental health disorders.
Does baseline clinically significant anxiety affect heart rate variability in RCMP cadets during a 26-week training program?
Cohort (n=157)
No
Does baseline clinically significant anxiety affect heart rate variability in RCMP cadets during a 26-week training program?
Effect estimate: r = 0.21
Absolute Event Rate: 1.28% vs 2.58%
p-value: p=0.035
RCMP cadets with clinically significant anxiety symptoms at baseline exhibited decreased variability in the LF:HF ratio during training, suggesting decreased parasympathetic tone and potential cardioautonomic inflexibility.
Baseline anxiety was associated with reduced LF:HF variability; hypothesis-generating for autonomic inflexibility and requires prospective validation.
Objective The current study examined variations in cardioautonomic lability during the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Cadet Training Program (CTP) between cadets starting their training who did or did not screen positive for one or more mental health disorders (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], major depressive disorder [MDD], social anxiety disorder [SAD], generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], panic disorder [PD], alcohol use disorder [AUD]). Methods Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals integrated into Hexoskin garments were used to record ECG and heart rate Over the 26-week CTP. There were 31 heart rate variability (HRV) parameters calculated using Kubios Premium HRV analysis software. Mann–Whitney U -tests were used to perform groupwise comparisons of participant raw values and HRV during the CTP. Results A total of 157 cadets (79% male) were screened for any mental disorder using self-report surveys and then grouped by positive and negative screening. Analyses indicated a statistically significant ( p < 0.05) decrease in low frequency (LF): High Frequency (HF) variability during CTP, but only for cadets who endorsed clinically significant anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7 at the start of their training. There were no other statistically significant groupwise differences. Conclusion The results indicate the participants have excellent cardiac health overall and suggest potentially important differences between groups, such that cadets who endorsed clinically significant anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7 showed less variability in the LF:HF ratio over the course of the CTP. The relatively lower variability suggests decreased parasympathetic tone in those without clinically significant anxiety symptoms. The results also have important implications for future investigations of cardioautonomic dysfunction and chronic hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis deviations in policing populations with anxiety disorders; specifically, cardioautonomic inflexibility related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In any case, the current results provide an important baseline for future cardiac research with cadets and serving officers.
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Teckchandani et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Anxiety symptoms and cardioautonomic lability (n=157). Clinically significant anxiety symptoms (positive GAD-7 screen) vs. Negative screen for mental health disorders was evaluated on Variability in the low frequency to high frequency (LF:HF) ratio of heart rate variability during the 26-week training program (r = 0.21, p=0.035). Cadets who endorsed clinically significant anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7 prior to training showed significantly less variability in the LF:HF ratio over the 26-week program compared to those without symptoms.
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