Heart rate turbulence in acute ischemic stroke

Background: Heart rate turbulence (HRT), an ECG-based marker of autonomic cardiac regulation, has shown high prognostic value in patients with established cardiovascular diseases, while data in patients with acute ischemic stroke are scarce.

Patients and methods: The HRT parameters turbulence onset and turbulence slope were analyzed using Holter-ECG recordings from patients with acute ischemic stroke, consecutively enrolled in the prospective observational HEBRAS study. HRT was categorized as normal (category 0; both parameters normal), abnormal (category 1; one parameter abnormal), or severely abnormal (category 2; both parameters abnormal). Outcomes of interest were functional outcome according to modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months, mortality at 1 year, newly detected atrial fibrillation (AF), and evidence of focal myocardial fibrosis on cardiovascular MRI.

Results: HRT was assessed in 335 patients in sinus rhythm (median age 69 years, 37% female, median NIHSS score 2 on admission), including 262 (78%) with normal HRT, 47 (14%) with abnormal and 26 (8%) with severely abnormal HRT. Compared with normal HRT, severely abnormal HRT was associated with increased disability [higher mRS] at 3 months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-6.6), new AF (aOR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.1-10.6), MRI-detected myocardial fibrosis (aOR: 5.8, 95% CI: 1.3-25.9), but not with mortality at 1 year after stroke (aOR: 3.0, 95% CI: 0.7-13.9). Abnormal HRT was not associated with the analyzed outcomes.

Conclusions: Severely abnormal HRT was associated with increased disability and previously unknown cardiac comorbidities. The potential role of HRT in selecting patients for extended AF monitoring and cardiac imaging should be further investigated.