Heart rate--left ventricular ejection time relations. Variations during postural change and cardiovascular challenges.

Regression equations for heart rate (HR)--ejection time (LVET) relations provide the appropriate factors for predicting or correcting left ventricular ejection time at any HR. We investigated HR-LVET regressions under different conditions common to both physiological and clinical studies of LVET which had been selected because of predictably different physiological responses. Ten normal subjects were studied during both supine and sitting rest and during isometric handgrip (IHG) in both supine and sitting postures and 10 during head-up tilt. Unexpectedly, as compared with pre-exercise rest on a bicycle ergometer, the slope for the resting state on a chair was slightly flatter, and LVET values were uniformly higher throughout the range of HRs measured. Differences among HR-LVET slopes and intercepts appeared to reflect the established behaviour of stroke volume and ejection rate under the conditions studied. Differences observed among intercepts, especially in supine vs. upright postures, are substantial and require that the appropriate intercept be applied in predicting LVET at a given HR. differences among slopes, while not statistically significant, may, under practical conditions, lead to unacceptable error if the appropriate slope factor is not used in correcting LVET for HR.