Key result
Slow heart rate recovery following an exercise stress test in healthy individuals was associated with a significantly higher very low frequency power at one-minute post-exercise compared to controls, with no differences in other HRV indices.
Why the study?
To examine autonomic function using HRV measures in apparently healthy individuals undergoing an exercise stress test who demonstrate a slow HRR response.
Does slow heart rate recovery post-exercise stress test correlate with altered autonomic function in apparently healthy individuals?
Cross-Sectional (n=28)
No
Does slow heart rate recovery post-exercise stress test correlate with altered autonomic function in apparently healthy individuals?
Absolute Event Rate: 9.4% vs 8.85%
p-value: p=0.03
In apparently healthy individuals, slow heart rate recovery post-exercise correlates with resting low and high frequency HRV powers, suggesting a relationship with autonomic function.
Should not alter clinical exercise test interpretation in healthy adults; leaves open VLF power as autonomic recovery marker.
Objective: To examine the autonomic function using HRV measures in apparently healthy individuals undergoing exercise stress test (EST) and demonstrating slow HRR response. Methods: HRV was measured with 12 lead ECGs during graded EST and analyzed via a post-processing method. Autonomic function was determined by Power Spectral Analysis of the very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and the ratio of LF/HF. We correlated HRV indices with resting, exercise, and recovery data. Results: No differences were found in anthropometric measurements, peak EST HR, and METS between individuals with slow HRR (below 18 b/min) compared with controls (HRR > 18 b/min). Only the VLF component of the HRV indices was statistically different (p = 0.03) at one-minute post-exercise compared with controls. Additionally, a significant correlation between HRR and resting LF and HF indices was found in the individuals with slow HRR but not in the controls. Conclusion: In apparently healthy individuals with slow HRR post-EST, autonomic function did not demonstrate any differences at any phase of the EST, including at one minute of recovery. However, a significant correlation was found between resting LF and HF powers and HRR in individuals with slow vagal reactivation post-exercise. The clinical and prognostic implications of such observation deserve further investigation.
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Goldfarb et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Apparently healthy individuals (n=28). Slow heart rate recovery (≤18 b/min) vs. Normal heart rate recovery (>18 b/min) was evaluated on Very low frequency (VLF) power at one-minute post-exercise (ln transformed) (p=0.03). Slow heart rate recovery following an exercise stress test in healthy individuals was associated with a significantly higher very low frequency power at one-minute post-exercise compared to controls, with no differences in other HRV indices.
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