Analysis of Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Urgency

Cha, Min Ho; Kim, Young Soo; Choi, Jong Bo

Abstract

PURPOSE
To characterize autonomic dysfunction in patients with urgency, we measured heart rate variability (HRV) and analyzed them compared with those of normal population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
ECG signals were obtained from 32 female patients (mean age, 46.4 years) and 86 healthy female controls (mean age, 43.7 years) in resting state. We analyzed their parameters of HRV and compared them between groups. RESULTS: Time domain analysis including standard deviation of NN interval (SDNN), square root of mean of sum of squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD) in patients with urgency were not significantly different with those of controls. There were suggested evidence of decreased total power (TP), high frequency (HF) in patients with urgency (p<0.05) while no significant difference in other frequency domain such as very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF) and LF/HF ratio. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study shows that patients with urgency have different results on HRV study comparing to controls. With the exception of LF and LF/HF ratio, all parameters of HRV in patients with urgency decreased than normal controls. TP, HF in patients with urgency significantly decreased than that of normal controls. The decreased values of HRV study means that they may have some kinds of disease or imbalance in autonomic nervous system (ANS). So we suggest that HRV study may be a tool to describe the possibility of altered ANS activity in patients with urgency.