Heart Rate Variability in Men with Erectile dysfunction

Purpose The objective of this study is to investigate alteration of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in patients suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) by comparing parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) between men with ED and healthy subjects. Methods A retrospective review was performed on 40 ED patients (mean age, 46.0±8.49 years) without any disease and 180 healthy control people (mean age, 44.4±7.83 years) without ED in our institution from June 2008 to July 2010. And electrocardiographic signals were obtained to measure HRV parameters for both patients and controls in a resting state. Results For the time domain analysis, square root of the mean differences between successive RR intervals (RMSSD) representing parasympathetic activity was lower in patients than controls although P-value was not statistically significant (P=0.060). For the frequency domain analysis, high frequency (HF) representing parasympathetic activity was lower in patients than controls (P=0.232) and low frequency (LF) representing mainly sympathetic activity was higher in patients than controls (P=0.416). Lastly, LF/HF ratio reflecting sympathetic/parasympathetic activity ratio was statistically higher in patients than controls (P=0.027). Conclusions Patients with ED exhibited different HRV parameters compared with normal controls. This suggests that the patients with ED may have some kind of imbalance in the ANS and it may be possible that general imbalance of the ANS is one of the causes of ED. Thus, HRV analysis may give valuable diagnostic information and serve as a rapid screening tool to evaluate altered ANS activity in patients with ED

An exploratory study of the relationship between psychosocial hazard and ambulatory physiological response in higher education employees

Purpose: as exposure to psychosocial hazard at work represents a substantial risk factor for employee health in many modern occupations, being able to accurately assess how employees cope with their working environment is crucial. As the workplace is generally accepted as being a dynamic environment consideration should be given to the interaction between employees and the acute environmental characteristics of their workplace. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of both acute demand and chronic work-related psychosocial hazard upon employees through ambulatory assessment of heart rate variability and blood pressure.Design: a within-subjects repeated measures design was used to investigate the relationship between exposure to work-related psychosocial hazard and ambulatory heart rate variability and blood pressure in a cohort of higher education employees. Additionally the effect of acute variation in perceived work-related demand was investigated.Results: two dimensions of the Management Standards were found to demonstrate an association with heart rate variability; more hazardous levels of “demand” and “relationships” were associated with decreased SDNN. Significant changes in blood pressure and indices of heart rate variability were observed with increased acute demand

Recovery time and heart rate variability following extreme endurance exercise in healthy women.

The relationship between autonomic function and recovery following prolonged arduous exercise in women has not been examined. We undertook an exploratory study that aimed to examine the temporal change in linear and nonlinear measures of heart rate variability (HRV) following prolonged arduous exercise in the form of first all-female (mean age 32.7 ± 3.1 years) team to attempt an unassisted Antarctic traverse. HRV analysis was performed before and 1, 4, and 15 days postexpedition. The traverse was completed in 61 days. There was a significant paired reduction in heart rate, LnLF, LF:HF, DFAα1 between baseline and 15 days postexercise in the same environment. Conversely, RMSSD, LnHF and HFnu, SD1:SD2, and SampEn significantly increased. DFAα2 levels significantly fell from baseline to Day 1 postexercise. In conclusion, we observed a significant latent increase in relative parasympathetic dominance and RR interval irregularity at 15 days post prolonged arduous exercise, versus pre-exercise baseline, in a group of very fit and healthy adult women