Do the
Oscillations of Cardiovascular Parameters Persist
during Voluntary Apnea in Humans?
M.
JAVORKA, I. ŽILA, K. JAVORKA, A. ČALKOVSKÁ
Department of Physiology, Jessenius
Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin,
Slovak Republic
Received January 18, 2001
Accepted October 11, 2001
Summary
The aim of this study was to ascertain
the persistence of heart rate and blood pressure
oscillations at the onset of voluntary apnea in
humans and to assess the dependence of the
fluctuations` parameters on the chemoreceptor
activity. In 24 young subjects (10 males, 14
females, mean age 20.4 years) heart rate
(represented by its reciprocal value -
RR-intervals), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and
diastolic blood pressure (DBP) during controlled
breathing (CB) of atmospheric air and oxygen
followed by apnea were recorded continuously. The
cosine functions were then fitted by nonlinear
regression analysis to the heart rate, SBP and
DBP oscillations during CB and at the onset of
apnea. The parameters of oscillations were
different during atmospheric air breathing
compared to oxygen breathing. During oxygen
breathing there was an increase of the
RR-interval oscillations - relative bradycardia
and enhanced magnitude of respiratory sinus
arythmia. During apnea, the base level of the
blood pressure oscillations was higher after
breathing of atmospheric air compared o oxygen
breathing. At least one cosine-like wave
oscillation was present at the onset of apnea in
the heart rate, SBP and DBP and the second wave
was present in all assessed parameters in at
least 70 % of recordings. The oscillations in
RR-intervals are, to some extent, independent of
blood pressure oscillations. No significant
gender differences were found either in the
duration of breath holding or in the RR and SBP
oscillations parameters.
.
Key
words
Apnea
· Respiratory sinus arrhythmia · Heart rate ·
Blood pressure · Oscillations
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Michal Javorka, M.D., Department of Physiology,
Jessenius Medical Faculty, Comenius University,
Malá Hora 4, 037 54 Martin, Slovak Republic.
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