Kerdo Vegetative Index as an Optimal Tool for Assessing Autonomic Balance in Studies of Connective Tissue Dysplasia

Undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (uCTD) is characterized by a high prevalence of autonomic disturbances; however, the optimal method for assessing autonomic status in this patient population has not been established. Existing indices (Robinson index, Baevsky index, minute blood volume) predominantly reflect hemodynamic parameters and may not account for the specifics of autonomic dysregulation in uCTD. Objective . To justify the selection of the Kerdo Vegetative Index as the most informative parameter for assessing autonomic status in female patients with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia. Materials and Methods . A single-center observational cross-sectional study was conducted involving 24 female patients with verified uCTD aged 20–31 years (mean age 24.12 ± 2.66 years). The following indices were calculated: Kerdo Vegetative Index (KVI), minute blood volume (MBV), and the Index of Functional Changes (IFC). Correlation analysis with clinical parameters (dysplasia scores, autonomic dysfunction scores, anxiety) was performed. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 26.0. Results . KVI demonstrated the strongest correlations with clinical manifestations of uCTD: with autonomic dysfunction scores (r = 0.715; p < 0.001), anxiety (r = 0.773; p 0.05). When comparing groups, KVI significantly differed between patients with and without anxiety (+9.99 vs −9.02; p = 0.0009), as well as between groups with and without autonomic dysfunction (+10.09 vs −11.98; p = 0.0002). Conclusion. The Kerdo Vegetative Index is the most informative parameter for assessing autonomic status in female patients with uCTD, owing to its strong correlations with clinical disease manifestations and its ability to differentiate patients based on the presence of psychovegetative disturbances.