Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart rate variability changes in dogs with mitral valve disease
By Oliveira, M S et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2012·Departamento de Clí·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Heart rate variability parameters of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs with and without heart failure obtained using 24-hour Holter electrocardiography.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), a common heart condition, were monitored for heart rate changes using a 24-hour Holter monitor. The study found that dogs with heart failure showed significantly lower heart rate variability compared to those without heart failure. This suggests that as the disease progresses, the dogs' heart control becomes less effective. The researchers also noted a strong connection between Holter results and echocardiography (an ultrasound of the heart), indicating that both tests are useful for assessing heart health in dogs with MMVD.
People also search for: dog heart failure symptoms · myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs · heart rate variability in dogs · Holter monitor for dogs · dog heart disease treatment
Abstract
Time-domain heart rate variability (HRV) parameters and the correlation between echocardiography and Holter examinations in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) were determined. Holter examination was also performed at different time frames: an entire 24-hour period, a four-hour period during sleep, and a four-hour period while awake. Ten healthy (control group) and 28 MMVD dogs, 15 with and 13 without heart failure, were evaluated. The SDANN (sd of the mean normal RR intervals for all five-minute segments during 24-hour Holter) and pNN(50) (percentage of differences between adjacent normal RR intervals that are >50 ms computed over 24-hour Holter) variables were significantly lower in the dogs with MMVD heart failure. The differences in HRV between the groups were only detected during the 24-hour evaluation period (P<0.05). There were high correlations (canonical analysis) between Holter and echocardiography examinations when considering pNN(50), SDANN, and LA/AO (left atrial to aortic root ratio) (r=0.92; P<0.05), indicating that both are important in evaluating MMVD dogs. SDANN and pNN(50) are measures of parasympathetic control of the heart, and thus, it is possible to infer that the MMVD dogs exhibit parasympathetic withdrawal during the development of heart failure.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22645158/