Liu Jia, Zhang Fan
Department of Geriatrics, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Int J Gen Med. 2024 Aug 12;17:3467-3477. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S472913. eCollection 2024.
Emerging evidence suggests a link between muscle health and the autonomic nervous system, but research is scarce. This study examines the connection between long-term heart rate variability (HRV) measured autonomic function and sarcopenia in the elderly, focusing on muscle mass and strength.
This retrospective cross-sectional study comprised 132 elderly hospitalized patients. Sarcopenia was defined according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) criteria, involving reduced muscle mass and strength. HRV was assessed using standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN), with values below 100 milliseconds indicating reduced HRV. Multivariate logistic regression and Pearson's correlation analyses were conducted to explore the associations between sarcopenia, muscle metrics, and HRV parameters.
Among elderly hospitalized patients, 45.45% had reduced HRV, with sarcopenia patients showing a fivefold higher risk (OR: 5.042; p = 0.034). Grip strength and SARC-CalF scores were independent factors associated with reduced HRV. Moderate correlations were noted between grip strength and HRV indices, particularly with SDNN (r = 0.393, p = 0.001) and the triangular index (r = 0.385, p < 0.001), while a weaker correlation was found with very low frequency power (VLF) (r = 0.283, p = 0.006). No significant correlations were identified between HRV and muscle mass. Regression analyses revealed significant independent associations between HRV parameters and the decline in muscle strength and the onset of sarcopenia.
Reduced HRV is closely linked to sarcopenia and diminished muscle strength in the elderly, with the triangular index and SDNN as key indicators, highlighting HRV's potential in muscle health assessment.
新出现的证据表明肌肉健康与自主神经系统之间存在联系，但相关研究较少。本研究探讨通过测量自主神经功能的长期心率变异性（HRV）与老年人肌肉减少症之间的联系，重点关注肌肉质量和力量。
这项回顾性横断面研究纳入了132名老年住院患者。肌肉减少症根据欧洲老年人肌肉减少症工作组（EWGSOP2）标准定义，包括肌肉质量和力量下降。使用NN间期标准差（SDNN）评估HRV，SDNN值低于100毫秒表明HRV降低。进行多因素逻辑回归和Pearson相关性分析，以探讨肌肉减少症、肌肉指标和HRV参数之间的关联。
在老年住院患者中，45.45%的患者HRV降低，肌肉减少症患者的风险高出五倍（OR：5.042；p = 0.034）。握力和SARC-CalF评分是与HRV降低相关的独立因素。握力与HRV指标之间存在中度相关性，特别是与SDNN（r = 0.393，p = 0.001）和三角指数（r = 0.385，p < 0.001），而与极低频功率（VLF）的相关性较弱（r = 0.283，p = 0.006）。未发现HRV与肌肉质量之间存在显著相关性。回归分析显示HRV参数与肌肉力量下降和肌肉减少症的发生之间存在显著的独立关联。
HRV降低与老年人肌肉减少症和肌肉力量减弱密切相关，三角指数和SDNN是关键指标，突出了HRV在肌肉健康评估中的潜力。
