VASCULAR HEMODYNAMIC DYSFUNCTION AND ITS INTERFERENCE IN HEART RATE VARIABILITY: A REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of mortality and functional disability. It is important to understand that hemodynamic and blood pressure control mechanisms help to understand the origin and development of cardiovascular dysfunctions, since the baroreflex mechanism influences vascular sympathetic control. The objective of this review was to seek an answer to the following guiding question: “Can vascular hemodynamic dysfunction interfere, depending on the location of the alteration, in heart rate variability?” Methodology: This is a review of the English-language literature on vascular dysfunctions that can lead to hemodynamic changes and their impact on cardiac autonomic modulation using the strategy: (("Vascular Diseases") AND (“heart rate variability”) AND (hypertension) AND ("Middle Aged” OR Elderly OR Aged)) inserted in the EBSCO, EMBASE, PUBMED, SCIENCE DIRECT, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE databases in the period between December 2023 and February 2024, which resulted in 2804 articles found, published between 2018 and 2023. Results: The studies described here related arterial dysfunction and low heart rate variability; hemodynamic disturbance as a source of changes in heart rate variability and sympathetic imbalance; vascular obstructive disorders and cardiac autonomic dysfunction. Other results were presented where they clarify that endothelial dysfunction and blood pressure also have an impact on autonomic dysfunction. However, an article has identified that the inter-arm pressure difference is not associated with dysfunction in cardiac autonomic control. Conclusion: changes in sympathovagal balance detected through the assessment of heart rate variability may be a predictor of changes in vascular dynamics.