234 Persons with asymptomatic left ventricle dysfunction can not increase heart rate variability during deep breathing

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Main funding source(s): North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov Objective to study the features of autonomic regulation of sinus rhythm features of autonomic regulation of cardiac sinus rhythm in patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) during inpatient stay in hospital. Materials and methods. The study included 25 female patients (the median age 57.5 ± 28.5 years) with TTS, diagnosis was based on the InterTAK criteria. On the 5-7th day after admission, the heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed both at rest and cardiac autonomic function tests: the deep breathing test (DBT) and active orthostatic test (AOT) with the usage of a computer diagnostic system «Valenta». RESULTS According to HRV data, initially at rest, the majority of the studied patients predominantly had a parasympathetic impact on the heart rate regulation: in 70% - increased parasympathetic influence, in 17% - increased sympathetic influence, in 13% - a balanced heart rate regulation. When performing a DBT, the predominance of the parasympathetic influence on the heart rate was noted both in spectral parameters and according to the data of time analysis (HF during DBT increased 1.8 times up to 489.6 ± 114.2 ms2 (p <0.05) ; LF decreased 1.7 times up to 254.1 ± 70.3 ms2 (p <0.05); VLF increased 2.8 times up to 402.3 ± 101.8 ms2 (p <0, 05); TP increased 1.4 times up to 1145.9 ± 251.3 ms2; CV increased 1.3 times up to 6.5 ± 0.7% (p <0.05); SDNN increased 1.3 times up to - 58.7 ± 6.6 ms (p <0.05). HRV measured during an AOT showed a paradoxical evaluation in the parasympathetic impact on the heart rate (HF increased by 1.8 times and reached - 488.0 ± 104.7 ms2 (p <0.05); LF decreased by 1.1 times up to 408 , 4 ± 103.6 ms2; VLF increased 1.2 times up to 166.4 ± 52.2 ms2; TP increased 1.3 times up to 1062.8 ± 181.1 ms2 (p <0.05); CV increased 1.6 times up to 8.0 ± 0.9% (p <0.05); SDNN increased 1.4 times up to 62.6 ± 7.5 ms (p <0.05)). Conclusions During the index hospital inpatient stays the majority of patients with TTS have a vegetative imbalance due to increased parasympathetic influence on the heart rate, both at rest and during a deep breathing test and an active orthostatic test. This fact is quite unexpected and requires further study.

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A Pragmatic Controlled Trial of Forest Bathing Compared with Compassionate Mind Training in the UK: Impacts on Self-Reported Wellbeing and Heart Rate Variability

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031380 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1380

Author(s):

Kirsten McEwan ◽

David Giles ◽

Fiona J. Clarke ◽

Yasu Kotera ◽

Gary Evans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Increase Heart Rate ◽

Future Research ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Forest Bathing ◽

Mind Training

Forest Bathing, where individuals use mindfulness to engage with nature, has been reported to increase heart rate variability and benefit wellbeing. To date, most Forest Bathing studies have been conducted in Asia. Accordingly, this paper reports the first pragmatic controlled trial of Forest Bathing in the United Kingdom, comparing Forest Bathing with a control comprising an established wellbeing intervention also known to increase heart rate variability called Compassionate Mind Training. Sixty-one university staff and students (50 females, 11 males) were allocated to (i) Forest Bathing, (ii) Compassionate Mind Training or (iii) Forest Bathing combined with Compassionate Mind Training. Wellbeing and heart rate variability were measured at baseline, post-intervention and three-months follow-up. There were improvements in positive emotions, mood disturbance, rumination, nature connection and compassion and 57% of participants showed an increase in heart rate variability. There were no significant differences between conditions, showing that Forest Bathing had equivalence with an established wellbeing intervention. The findings will help healthcare providers and policy makers to understand the effects of Forest Bathing and implement it as a feasible social prescription to improve wellbeing. Future research needs to involve clinical populations and to assess the effects of Forest Bathing in a fully powered randomised controlled trial.

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