Cardiac repolarization and autonomic regulation during short-term cold exposure in hypertensive men: an experimental study
Hintsala H, Kenttä TV, Tulppo M, Kiviniemi A, Huikuri HV, Mäntysaari M, Keinänen-Kiukaannemi S, Bloigu R, Herzig KH, Antikainen R, Rintamäki H, Jaakkola JJ, Ikäheimo TM
PloS one · 37 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos
Based on 1 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2014-07-01 · PLoS One · vol. 9 · issue 7 · p. e99973
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Cited
- 45 citations · more than 85% of similar papers · 1.7× the field average
- References
- 50 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control · Blood Pressure and Hypertension Studies · Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
- Keywords
- Medicine, Internal medicine, QT interval, Cardiology, Heart rate, Population, Heart rate variability, Repolarization, Cardiac function curve, Endocrinology, Blood pressure, Heart failure, Electrophysiology
- MeSH
- heart conduction system, humans, hypertension, vectorcardiography, electrophysiologic techniques, cardiac, aged, middle aged, male, cold temperature
13 authors
From FI, GB
- Heidi E. HintsalaOulu University Hospital; University of Oulu
- Tuomas V KenttäOulu University Hospital; University of Oulu
- Mikko Paavo TulppoLondon South Bank University
- Antti M. Kiviniemi
- Heikki V. HuikuriOulu University Hospital; University of Oulu
- Matti MäntysaariUniversity of Oulu
Abstract
Objectives
The aim of our study was to assess the effect of short-term cold exposure, typical in subarctic climate, on cardiac electrical function among untreated middle-aged hypertensive men.
Methods
We conducted a population-based recruitment of 51 hypertensive men and a control group of 32 men without hypertension (age 55-65 years) who underwent whole-body cold exposure (15 min exposure to temperature -10°C, wind 3 m/s, winter clothes). Conduction times and amplitudes, vectorcardiography, arrhythmias, and heart rate variability (autonomic nervous function) were assessed.
Results
Short-term cold exposure increased T-peak to T-end interval from 67 to 72 ms (p<0.001) and 71 to 75 ms (p<0.001) and T-wave amplitude from 0.12 to 0.14 mV (p<0.001) and from 0.17 to 0.21 mV (p<0.001), while QTc interval was shortened from 408 to 398 ms (p<0.001) and from 410 to 401 ms (p<0.001) among hypertensive men and controls, respectively. Cold exposure increased both low (from 390 to 630 ms2 (p<0.001) and 380 to 700 ms2 (p<0.001), respectively) and high frequency heart rate variability (from 90 to 190 ms2 (p<0.001) and 150 to 300 ms2 (p<0.001), respectively), while low-to-high frequency-ratio was reduced. In addition, the frequency of ventricular ectopic beats increased slightly during cold exposure. The cold induced changes were similar between untreated hypertensive men and controls.
Conclusions
Short-term cold exposure with moderate facial and mild whole body cooling resulted in prolongation of T-peak to T-end interval and higher T-wave amplitude while QTc interval was shortened. These changes of ventricular repolarization may have resulted from altered cardiac autonomic regulation and were unaffected by untreated hypertension.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02007031.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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