Relationship between cytomegalovirus infection and heart rate variability in elderly patients with atherosclerosis / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the correlation between cytomegalovirus infection and heart rate variability (HRV) in elderly patients with atherosclerosis.Methods 160 patients with coronary heart disease who met World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for coronary heart disease in 1979 were collected.According to the IMTHCMV PP65 antigen test results,patients were divided into positive group (observation group,n=103) and negative group (control group,n=57).We detected the levels of of HRV,metalloprotease-9 (MMP 9) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in the two groups in order to access the plaque stability.Results The all sinus standard deviation of RR interval (SDNN),standard deviation of the average NN interval (SDANNI),mean value of sinus standard deviation of RR interval (SDNNI) were lower in observation group than in control group (P ＜0.05).There were no significant differences in square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD) level and percentage of differences exceeding 50ms between adjacent normal number of intervals (PNN50) between the two groups (P＞0.05).The levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein were higher and the levels of MMP 9 AND TNF α were lower in observation group than in the control group (all P＜0.05).Compared with control group,the plaque stability was decreased in observation group [20.4％ (21/103) vs.61.4％ (35/57),x2=4.273,P=0.015].Conclusions Patients with atherosclerosis combined with cytomegalovirus infection have a greater heart rate variability and poorer plaque stability.