Autonomic cardiac modulation in postmenopausal women with dry eye syndrome: a cross-sectional analytical study

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess cardiac autonomic modulation in postmenopausal women with and without dry eye syndrome (DES) and to identify associations between clinical and socioeconomic factors. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Institute of Ocular Surgery of the Northeast (ICONE), Brazil. Convenience sample of postmenopausal women, over 40 years old, who were divided into two groups: with and without DES. Clinical, sociodemographic, and ophthalmological characteristics of these women were assessed. Capture of RR intervals was performed using a cardio frequency meter. Differences between the groups were analyzed using the Chi-square test, the Student's t test, and the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS Women with DES were present in 60.4% (n=58), highest median age (63.5 years, 95%CI 62.0-67.9; p<0.001), median length of time menopause (19 years old, 95%CI 10.4-24.0; p<0.001). There was a difference in the standard deviation of all normal-to-normal index between the groups. However, when the differences were adjusted to the clinical model, no association was found between DES and heart rate variability (HRV). CONCLUSIONS The analysis of cardiac autonomic modulation in postmenopausal women is similar in the presence or absence of DES. Clinical factors, time of menopause, and intensity of symptoms were not associated with HRV indices.

The effects of auditory stimulation with music on heart rate variability in healthy women

OBJECTIVES: There are no data in the literature with regard to the acute effects of different styles of music on the geometric indices of heart rate variability. In this study, we evaluated the acute effects of relaxant baroque and excitatory heavy metal music on the geometric indices of heart rate variability in women. METHODS: We conducted this study in 21 healthy women ranging in age from 18 to 35 years. We excluded persons with previous experience with musical instruments and persons who had an affinity for the song styles. We evaluated two groups: Group 1 (n = 21), who were exposed to relaxant classical baroque musical and excitatory heavy metal auditory stimulation; and Group 2 (n = 19), who were exposed to both styles of music and white noise auditory stimulation. Using earphones, the volunteers were exposed to baroque or heavy metal music for five minutes. After the first music exposure to baroque or heavy metal music, they remained at rest for five minutes; subsequently, they were re-exposed to the opposite music (70-80 dB). A different group of women were exposed to the same music styles plus white noise auditory stimulation (90 dB). The sequence of the songs was randomized for each individual. We analyzed the following indices: triangular index, triangular interpolation of RR intervals and Poincaré plot (standard deviation of instantaneous beat-by-beat variability, standard deviation of the long-term RR interval, standard deviation of instantaneous beat-by-beat variability and standard deviation of the long-term RR interval ratio), low frequency, high frequency, low frequency/high frequency ratio, standard deviation of all the normal RR intervals, root-mean square of differences between the adjacent normal RR intervals and the percentage of adjacent RR intervals with a difference of duration greater than 50 ms. Heart rate variability was recorded at rest for 10 minutes. ...