To evaluate heart rate variability in elderly people with Frailty Syndrome.
The sample consisted of 30 elderly people with frailty and 9 without frailty. Patients using beta-blockers were excluded. Assessments were carried out on the five criteria for defining frailty: handgrip strength, walking speed (distance of 4.6 meters), unintentional weight loss (greater than or equal to 5% of body mass), report of exhaustion (CES-D Depression Scale) and level of physical activity, measured using section 4 of the IPAQ long version. The RR interval was recorded by the polar V800 and subsequently evaluated by the Kubios HRV Standard, using 10 minutes of recording, with the elderly in the supine position. The analyzes were carried out in the time domain using heart rate and the indices MNN, SDNN, RMSSD and pNN5) and in the frequency domain using the low frequency (BF: 0.04-0.15 Hz) and high frequency (AF: 0.04-0.15 Hz) indices. 0.15-0.49 Hz) in absolute (m2) and normalized (un) units and the LF/HF ratio representing the sympatho-vagal balance. The unpaired Student “t” test was used to compare groups and p0.05 was adopted as statistical significance.
The groups were similar regarding age and body mass index (69±1 vs. 67±2 years; p=0.43 and 74±1.0 v. 72±2.6 kg; p=0 .15, respectively, frailty and non-frailty group). The frailty group had lower heart rate variability in the time domain compared to the non-frailty group: MNN (863±18 vs. 934±47 ms; p=0.18), RMSSD (21±2 vs. 23±4 ms; p=0.36) and pNN5 (3±1 ms vs. 5±3; p=0.17), representing the predominance of parasympathetic activity and SDNN (20±2 vs. 21±3 ms; p= 0.85), equivalent to sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. However, heart rate was similar between groups (70±1 ms vs. 66±3; p=0.21). No difference was observed in the AF band, referring to cardiac parasympathetic activity (187±44 vs. 203±76 ms2; p=0.87). Still in the analysis of heart rate variability in the frequency domain, the groups were similar regarding the BF band (203±38 vs. 228±110 ms2; p=0.80), related to cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. No differences were observed between the groups regarding BF (54±2 vs. 48±4 un; p=0.29), corresponding to cardiac sympathetic activity, and AF (46±2 vs. 51±40; un; p= 0.30), referring to cardiac parasympathetic activity, evaluated in normalized units and for the BF/AF sympathovagal balance (1.31±0.1 vs. 1.1±0.2; p=0.35).
Elderly people with frailty syndrome have lower heart rate variability and less cardiac parasympathetic activity compared to elderly people without frailty, which may imply a greater cardiovascular risk in this population.
Pre-clinical care for elderly people with frailty syndrome throught physical exercise focused on preventing cardiovascular disease
fragility
heart rate variability
