Comparison of autonomic responses to the tilt table test between patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and healthy individuals
a study matched for sex and age
Keywords:
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Heart rate variability. Autonomic nervous system. Tilt test. Autonomic dysfunction.Abstract
This study analyzed differences in autonomic responses to the tilt test (TT) between participants with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (case group) and healthy participants (control) by comparing heart rate variability (HRV) before and during the TT. This was an observational, prospective and longidutinal study with 41 participants (20 in the control group), matched for sex and age, with a mean age of 23.9 years. All underwent the TT at 70 degrees with digital Holter monitoring for HRV spectral analysis. In case group, the baseline heart rate was higher than in control group (79.0 and 67.2 bpm, p=0.005), with reproduction of symptoms during the TT in 12 of case group, with no difference in blood pressure. There was a significant decrease in the vagal component and an increase in the sympathetic-vagal component in both groups. However, there was no difference in HRV between these groups.
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