Circulation
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Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) has thus far not been applied in patients with atrial fibrillation, probably because of the presumed absence of any form of patterning of the ventricular rhythm, particularly vagally mediated respiratory arrhythmia. However, such patterning is theoretically conceivable given the function of the atrioventricular node in atrial fibrillation and its susceptibility to autonomic influences. ⋯ This study shows that HRV in patients with atrial fibrillation is related to vagal tone.
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Despite much recent interest in quantification of heart rate variability (HRV), the prognostic value of conventional measures of HRV and of newer indices based on nonlinear dynamics is not universally accepted. ⋯ These results demonstrate that HRV analysis of ambulatory ECG recordings based on fully automated methods can have prognostic value in a population-based study and that nonlinear HRV indices may contribute prognostic value to complement traditional HRV measures.