Key result
Hyperbaric pressure up to 4 ATA induces bradycardia and shifts HRV toward high-frequency power.
Why the study?
The effects of hyperbaric pressure on heart rate modulation and heart rate variability were not well characterized.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May warrant enhanced heart rate monitoring during extreme hyperbaric exposures; leaves open.
This study sought to determine the effects of hyperbaric pressure on heart rate modulation, by analyzing potential changes in heart rate variability (HRV). Ten divers were exposed to pressures of 1, 2, 3, and 4 atmospheres absolute (ATA). The test was performed in a hyperbaric chamber. Heart rate (HR) was recorded in supine subjects for 10 minutes per atmosphere. HRV was analyzed in the frequency mode (fast-Fourier transform and continuous wavelet transform). Results confirmed bradycardia as pressure increased. The drop in HR attained statistical significance after 2, 3, and 4 ATA. Signal energy (normalized TP values) rose progressively, becoming significant at 2 ATA. High frequency and low frequency displayed similar behavior in both cases. Although frequency band peaks did not yield clear results, continuous wave transform analysis showed that the frequency spectrum tended to shift into the high-frequency range as pressure increased. In summary, increased pressure prompted increased bradycardia, and HRV shifted into high-frequency range.
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Manso et al. (2010) studied this question. Hyperbaric pressure vs. 1 ATA (baseline) was evaluated on Heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV). Exposure to increasing hyperbaric pressure up to 4 ATA significantly increased bradycardia and shifted heart rate variability into the high-frequency range.
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