HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 290/6/H2560    most recent 00903.2005v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (22) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Beckers, F. Articles by Aubert, A. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Beckers, F. Articles by Aubert, A. E.

Aging and nonlinear heart rate control in a healthy population

Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, School of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

Submitted 23 August 2005 ; accepted in final form 22 December 2005

In recent years more studies are using nonlinear dynamics to describe cardiovascular control. Because of the large dispersion of physiological data, it is important to have large studies with both male and female participants to establish a range of physiological healthy values. This study investigated the effect of gender and age on nonlinear indexes. Nonlinear scaling properties were studied by using 1/f slope (where f is frequency), fractal dimension, and detrended fluctuation analysis short- and long-term correlations (DFA₁ and DFA₂, respectively). Nonlinear complexity was described with correlation dimension (CD), Lyapunov exponent (LE), and approximate entropy (ApEn). The population consisted of 135 women and 141 men (age, 18–71 yr). Twenty-four hour ECG recordings were obtained by using Holter monitoring. The recordings were split into daytime (8 AM–9 PM) and nighttime (11 PM–6 AM). A day-night variation was present in all nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) indexes, except for the CD in the female population. During the night the percentage of CD values of surrogate data files differing from the CD value of the original data increased. All nonlinear indexes were significantly correlated with age. Deeper analysis per age category of 10 yr showed a stabilization in the age decline of the fractal dimension and ApEn at the age of 40 yr. The vagal pathways seemed to be more involved in the generation of nonlinear fluctuations. Higher nonlinear behavior was evident during the night. No clear difference between men and women was found in the nonlinear indexes. Nonlinear indexes decline with age. This can be related to the concept of decreasing autonomic modulation with advancing age.

heart rate variability; nonlinear dynamics; gender; circadian rhythm

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. E Aubert, S. Vandeput, F. Beckers, J. Liu, B. Verheyden, and S. Van Huffel Complexity of cardiovascular regulation in small animals Phil Trans R Soc A, April 13, 2009; 367(1892): 1239 - 1250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Voss, S. Schulz, R. Schroeder, M. Baumert, and P. Caminal Methods derived from nonlinear dynamics for analysing heart rate variability Phil Trans R Soc A, January 28, 2009; 367(1887): 277 - 296. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Kojima, J. Hayano, H. Fukuta, S. Sakata, S. Mukai, N. Ohte, H. Seno, T. Toriyama, H. Kawahara, T. A. Furukawa, et al. Loss of Fractal Heart Rate Dynamics in Depressive Hemodialysis Patients Psychosom Med, February 1, 2008; 70(2): 177 - 185. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. S. Heffernan, C. A. Fahs, K. K. Shinsako, S. Y. Jae, and B. Fernhall Heart rate recovery and heart rate complexity following resistance exercise training and detraining in young men Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, November 1, 2007; 293(5): H3180 - H3186. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]