Relations between carotid artery distensibility and heart rate variability: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

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• 作者：Tuomas Koskinen^a ; ^{tuomas.koskinen@utu.fi} ; Markus Juonala^b ; Mika K&#xe4 ; hö ; nen^c ; Antti Jula^d ; Tomi Laitinen^e ; Liisa Keltikangas-J&#xe4 ; rvinen^f ; Jorma Viikari^g ; Ilkka V&#xe4 ; lim&#xe4 ; ki^h ; Olli T. Raitakari^a ; ⁱ
• 关键词：Autonomic nervous system ; Heart rate variability ; Carotid distensibility ; Risk factors ; Young adults
• 刊名：Autonomic Neuroscience
• 出版年：2011
• 出版时间：26 April 2011
• 年：2011
• 卷：161
• 期：1-2
• 页码：75-80
• 全文大小：333 K

文摘

Objective

Reduction in carotid artery wall elasticity may interfere with baroreceptor function that could lead to low vagal tone. We studied at the population level the relations between carotid-artery-distensibility (Cdist) and vagal modulation of heart rate.

Methods and results

Cdist was assessed with ultrasonic measurements of changes in carotid artery diameter during cardiac-cycle. Vagal tone was estimated with the heart rate variability (HRV) in 1872 healthy 24–39 year-old subjects. Cdist was significantly related with all HRV-components (always P < 0.0001). After adjustments with sex, age and heart rate, we found statistically significant correlation between Cdist and the high-frequency component (HF, estimate of vagal-tone) of HRV (P < 0.05). An inverse association between the number of cardiovascular risk-factors and vagal-tone was seen in subjects with less elastic arteries, but not in subjects with more elastic arteries (P for interaction = 0.01).

Conclusions

These data support the hypothesis that reduction in carotid artery wall elastic properties may lead to low vagal tone. Furthermore, carotid distensibility seemed to modify the relation between risk-factors and HRV. Increased cardiovascular risk associated with low vagal tone may partly be mediated via changes in carotid artery elastic properties.