Relationship between Heart Rate Variability Indexes and Common Biochemical Markers in Normal and Hypertensive Third Trimester Pregnancy

Abstract

Background. In this study, we explored the correlations between heart rate variability indexes and some biochemical markers during the third trimester of normal, hypertensive, and preeclamptic pregnancies. Methods and Results. The obtained indexes are associated with complexity and spectral variables calculated from short electrocardiographic records. Conclusions. Including all the subjects in the analysis, we found that complexity indexes are positively related with hemoglobin concentration in the pathologic group and uric acid blood levels whereas low frequency (LF) was negatively correlated with uric acid and creatinine concentration as well as positively correlated with platelet levels. The LF was the only spectral region with significant correlation. Through an independent analysis of groups, only significant correlations were found in normal and preeclamptic groups between LF and uric acid concentration and in normal and hypertensive groups for LF and creatinine blood levels.

• Gestational hypertension
• Preeclampsia
• Complexity
• HRV
• Biochemical markers

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was supported by “Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia” (FCT), grant SFRH/BD/25167/2005.

Declaration of Interest. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.