Decreased baroreflex sensitivity assessed from phase IV of Valsalva maneuver in mild congestive heart failure.

Decreased sensitivity of cardiopulmonary and arterial baroreceptors has been hypothesized to sustain sympathetic activation in patients with heart failure. In the present investigation the relationship between the impairment of baroreflex sensitivity and clinical severity of congestive heart failure was investigated. The authors studied 58 patients with heart failure (14 in NYHA class I, 22 in NYHA class II, and 22 in NYHA class III), 38 women and 20 men, age range 28-65 years. Thirty-two patients suffered from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and 26 from coronary heart disease. As control group they examined 21 age-matched subjects. Baroreceptor sensitivity was studied by using the Valsalva maneuver as stimulus. Arterial pressure and heart rate were measured noninvasively by Finapres instrument (Ohmeda) and signals were recorded and elaborated with a personal computer. A decrease of baroreflex sensitivity was already demonstrable in NYHA class I patients (4.72 +/- 3.31 vs 9.25 +/- 5.05 msec/mm Hg in control group) (p < 0.005). A further impairment of baroreceptor response was found in patients in NYHA class II (1.94 +/- 2.88 msec/mm Hg, p < 0.001) and class III (1.78 +/- 1.52 msec/mm Hg, p < 0.001). Baroreceptor response showed a significant correlation with functional NYHA class (r = 0.61, p < 0.001) and anaerobic threshold (r = 0.57, p < 0.001) while the correlation was less tight with left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, fractional shortening, left ventricular ejection fraction, pulmonary mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac index, distance at 6 minutes walk corridor test, and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). These results suggest that baroreceptor function may be impaired early in the clinical course of heart failure and may contribute to sympathetic activation.