Variability of the heart rate in patients with essential hyertension in regard to A/B type of behavior and the level of satisfaction of existential needs

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate autonomic regulation of heart function evaluating the variabilityof the heart rate in patients with essential hyertension vs. healthy control patients in regard to A/Btype of behavior and the level of satisfaction of existential needs.Methods A hundred patients with essential hypertension and a hundred healthy control subjects, compatiblein age and gender were included in study. All of them were subjected to clinical, electrocardiographical,pschycological and laboratory examination.Results Hypertensive patients had significantly shorter average RR interval, and faster heart rate comparedto control subjects (758,7 ± 29,3 ms vs. 824,9 ± 38,4 ms; p <0,001). The average variability ofthe heart rate was significantly lower in hypertensive than in healthy controls (3,85 ± 1,57% vs. 4,54 ±2,4%; p<0,01). The major impact on variability of the heart rate in peaceful and deep breathing comesfrom sistolic and diastolic blood pressure, the left ventricule mass, diastolic dysfunction of the heart,the size of left atrium, the duration of hypertnesion, blood cholesterol levels and blood triglicerid levels.The most significant negative correlation is between variability of heart rate and the duration of hypertension(beta = -0,291). In both hypertensive patients and control group the behavioral type A is morefrequent than type B. In hypertensive group there is a significant impact of all independent variablesby Bortner on the heart rate variabiliy in peaceful breathing (R = 0,50). In the subjects that had highersatisfaction of existential needs, heart rate was lower and the variability higher.Conclusion This study shows that the long term hypertension involves higher heart rate and the reducedvariability of the heart rate as compared to controls, which are known risk factors for the increasedcardiac mortality