Abstract
Purpose: to characterise the association between age, ageing and heart rate variability (HRV) in older individuals, 585 adults age >65 years with two 24-h Holter recordings in the Cardiovascular Health Study were studied. Methods: heart rate (HR), ventricular premature contractions (VPCs), atrial premature contractions (APCs), frequency-domain, ratio-based and non-linear HRV and heart rate turbulence (HRT) were examined cross-sectionally by 5-year age groups and prospectively over 5 years. Analyses adjusted for gender, lower versus elevated cardiovascular (CV) risk and for the change in CV risk. Results: HR declined, and VPCs and APCs increased per 5-year increase in age. Frequency-domain HRV decreased more at 65-69, less at 70-74 and minimally at ≥75 years, independent of CVD risk or change in CVD risk. Ratio and non-linear HRV continued to decline to ≥75 years old. Ratio HRV and HRT slope were more strongly related to CVD risk than frequency-domain HRV. Conclusions: cardiac autonomic function, assessed by frequency-domain HRV, declines most at 65-70 and levels off at age >75. The decline is independent of CVD risk or change in CVD risk. Ratio-based and non-linear HRV and HRT slope continued to change with increasing age and were more closely related to CVD risk than frequency-domain HRV.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 212-218 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Age and ageing |
Volume | 38 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Ageing
- Ambulatory ECG
- Autonomic nervous system
- Elderly
- Heart rate variability
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aging
- Geriatrics and Gerontology