[Spectrum analysis of heart rate variability in obstructive hypertrophic myocardiopathy. Evidence of altered autonomic function].

Altered sympathetic activity may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Spectral analysis of heart rate variability was employed to assess the sympatho-vagal function and balance in 18 patients with HOCM (11 males, 7 females, mean age 42 years, range 19-59) and in 15 healthy control subjects (9 males, 6 females, mean age 44 years, range 18-65). Electrocardiographic recordings obtained both at rest and during 60 degrees passive tilt, were digitized and analyzed by fast Fourier transform in order to obtain the power spectrum of heart rate variability. The low-frequency band (LF: 0.05-0.17 Hz) and the high-frequency band (HF: 0.18-0.34) of power spectrum were considered as indexes of sympathetic and vagal activities respectively. A semiquantitative two-dimensional echocardiographic score (SES) was used to assess the entity of myocardial hypertrophy whereas the entity of the intraventricular gradient was determined by continuous wave Doppler. Low-frequency band at rest was slightly but significantly reduced in HOCM group with respect to controls (35.2 +/- 2.0 vs 45.0 +/- 2.5 nu, respectively; p < 0.01), whereas the HF band and the LF/HF ratio were not different in the 2 groups. During tilt, control subjects showed a significant reduction of the HF band (-35%, p < 0.001), an increase in the LF band (+36%, p < 0.001) and a sharp increase in the LF/HF ratio (+105%, p < 0.001). On the contrary the baroreflex increase in the LF band and LF/HF ratio during tilt was markedly blunted, or even reverted, in patients with HOCM (-9%, NS and +5%, NS, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)