HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND FUNCTION OF EXTERNAL BREATHING IN THE PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE

The relation between parameters of the heart rate variability (HRV) and functions of an external breathing (FEB) were studied in the patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). 53 patients in the age of 60±11 years with II-IV stages of COPD were investigated. Duration of the disease on the moment of examination is 12±6 years. A control group consists of 10 persons. The estimated parameters of FEB were next: respiration rate (RR), forced exhalation volume per 1 second (FEV1), relation of FEV1 to forced vital capacity. Among the HRV parameters we estimated heart rate (HR), total power (ТР) and its components in domains of very low frequencies (VLF), low frequencies (LF), high frequencies (HF) and LF/HF ratio. The patients were divided into groups according to СOPD stage, respiration and heart rate classes, and disease duration. The results showed, that COPD are characterized by a decrease of HRV and FEB parameters, that were connected to the stage of disease, RR and HR classes and disease duration. The increase of COPD stage was characterized by equal HR and RR increase. With the increase of disease stage the HRV ТР reduced predominantly on the account оf HF. The increase of the RR and HR class was accompanied by TP reduction with concentration of changes in HF area with a proportional decrease of FEB parameters. The increase of the RR class did not influence on the HR class, whereas the increase of HR was accompanied by significant increase RR. The RR increase more than 21/minute is accompanied by HF increase and decrease of LF/HF relation . The COPD duration influences on HRV parameters in terms more than 15 years.