Background: Coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a common treatment method in patients with coronary heart disease, but its effects on heart rate variability (HRV) have not been well established.
Aim: To verify whether the localisation of coronary lesion undergoing PTCA affects HRV parameters.
Methods: Ninety six consecutive individuals underwent elective coronary angiography with subsequent ad hoc successful PTCA. Two five-minute ECG were recorded, one before PTCA and the second 24-hour after PTCA. The HRV indices were determined by means of classical and 'new' mathematical models.
Results: The PTCA-induced changes in HRV variables depended on the localisation of dilated lesion. PTCA of the circumflex artery revealed the most significant HRV changes--a decrease in value of domain indices: Yeh DI (0.033+/-0.031 vs. 0.011+/-0.006 un/unitless, p=0.005), Yeh II (0.053+/-0.039 vs. 0.032+/-0.013 un, p=0.017), Organ BAND (9.101+/-9.245 vs. 4.62+/-2.205 bpm/beat per minute, p=0.031), Huey STV (208.821+/-262.248 vs. 76.444+/-35.281 bpm, p=0.013), Dalton MABB (15.733+/-16.575 vs. 7.57+/-4.89 ms, p=0.015), Dalton SD (48.741+/-37.468 vs. 27.759+/-10.533 ms, p=0.015), Zugaib STV (0.0129+/-0.0132 vs. 0.005+/-0.003 un, p=0.005), SDNN (27.204+/-18.592 vs. 21.329+/-32.784 ms, p=0.044), rMSSD (56.239+/-19.751 vs. 51.496+/-43.889 ms, p=0.025) and increased LF/HF (2.384+/-2.072 vs. 5.632+/-5.379 un, p=0.044). Angioplasty of the right coronary artery resulted in decreased AR TP (18.273+/-2.296 vs. 17.085+/-2.256 ms(2), p=0.017) and alteration of the sympathovagal balance of the autonomic nervous system towards predominance of sympathetic activity: AR LF (0.264+/-0.029 vs. 0.284+/-0.040 un, p=0.007), LF/HF (4.310+/-4.457 vs. 6.958+/-7.013 un, p=0.018), HF (0.199+/-0.165 vs. 0.141+/-0.157 un, p=0.031), AR HF (0.647+/-0.043 vs. 0.621+/-0.054 un, p=0.014). PTCA of the left anterior descending artery caused no change.
Conclusion: Changes in heart rate variability caused by coronary angioplasty depend on the localisation of coronary lesions.