Interaction of 0.1-Hz Oscillations in Heart Rate Variability and Distal Blood Flow Variability

Biophysical features of 0.1Hz oscillations of heart rate variability (HRV) and distal blood flow (DBF) variability were compared in healthy subjects and patients after acute myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with acute MI (72 men and 53 women; 125 in total) and healthy subjects (23 men and 10 women; 33 in total) aged 30–38 and 20–46 years, respectively, participated in the study. The patients were involved in the study for a year after acute MI. The delay in coupling 0.1Hz oscillations of HRV and DBF variability was estimated. In healthy subjects, the delay in the heart-DBF coupling proved to be less than the delay in the DBF-heart coupling. Acute MI results mainly in disruption of the heart-DBF coupling, which is par tially restored by the end of the first year after acute MI, though it remains lower than in healthy subjects. The DBF-heart coupling is rapidly restored to the level of healthy subjects within three weeks after acute MI.