Chagas disease alters the relationship between heart rate variability and daily physical activity

Int J Cardiol. 2009 Jun 26;135(2):257-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2008.03.024. Epub 2008 Jun 27.

Abstract

Regular exercise training is considered to be capable of beneficially modifying the autonomic balance in healthy subjects. We studied the association between vagal HRV indexes and the level of physical activity in Chagas disease patients and control subjects. Although in controls habitual physical activity was closely associated with vagal HRV indexes, no relationship was found between IPAQ scores and HRV indexes in a Chagas disease group, suggesting that Chagas dysautonomia disrupted this potentially beneficial association.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / physiopathology*
  • Chagas Cardiomyopathy / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Heart Rate / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motor Activity / physiology*