Possibilities of detecting and correcting decreased heart rate variability in patients with coronary artery disease in combination with depressive disorders in a cardiology department

 Aim. To identify the presence and the correction method of decreased heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and comorbid depressive disorders (DD).

Materials and methods. 79 patients with CAD (with class II–III angina pectoris and myocardial infarction that occurred more than 6 months ago) were divided into two groups. The first group included 50 CAD patients with depression, and the second – 29 CAD patients without depression. 17  patients received agomelatine (1st subgroup), 12 patients received fluvoxamine and fluoxetine (2nd subgroup), and 21 patients refused to take antidepressants (3rd subgroup). Initially and after 6 months, the HRV parameters were evaluated using the SCHILLER MT-200 Holter-ECG apparatus (Switzerland).

Results. A significant decrease in HRV was revealed in the patients with depression compared to the patients without it: SDNN (96 [83; 117] ms vs. 110 [98; 127] ms; p = 0.02), SDANN (80.5 [67; 94] ms vs. 91 [79; 102] ms; p = 0.03), SDNNindex (46.5 [38; 56] ms vs. 55 [48; 66] ms; p = 0.006), rMSSD (29 [23; 38] ms vs. 33 [29; 45] ms; p = 0.04), pNN50% (3.9 [2.4; 5,7] vs. 5.7 [2.9; 12.6]; p = 0.03). Initially, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd subgroups did not differ in all HRV parameters. Against the background of antidepressant therapy, there  were significant differences between the 2nd and 3rd subgroups in SDNN  (110 [96; 140] ms vs. 85.5 [75; 103] ms; p = 0.008), SDANN (93.7 ± 22.9 ms vs. 72.7 ± 21.4 ms; p = 0.02), SDNNindex (55.8 ± 16.4 ms vs. 42.4 ± 10.8 ms; p = 0.01) and pNN50% (7.8 ± 6.7 vs. 3.6 ± 1.8; p = 0.02), as well as between the 1st and 3rd subgroups (SDANN (93.6 ± 28.5 ms vs. 72.7 ± 21.4 ms; p = 0.03), rMSSD (36.5 [28.5; 51] ms vs. 26.5 [25; 32] ms; p = 0.02)).

Conclusion. In patients with CAD with comorbid DD, significant impairment of heart rhythm regulation occurs due to a pronounced decrease in HRV, which can seriously affect the course and prognosis of CAD. Prescribing modern antidepressants can be used as a method of correcting autonomic  dysfunction in patients with CAD with comorbid depression. 

1. Khandaker G.M., Zuber V., Rees J.M.B., Carvalho L., Mason A.M., Foley C.N., Gkatzionis A., Jones P.B., Burgess S. Shared mechanisms between coronary heart disease and depression: findings from a large UK general population-based cohort. Molecular. Psychiatr. 2020: 25 (7): 1477–1486. DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0395-3.

2. Patel H., Mazur W., Williams K.A. Sr, Kalra D.K. Myocardial viability-state of the art: is it still relevant and how to best assess it with imaging? Trends Cardiovasc. Med. 2018; 28 (1): 24–37. DOI: 10.1016/j. tcm.2017.07.001.

3. Пушкарев Г.С., Кузнецов В.А., Фишер Я.А. и др. Влияние депрессивной симптоматики на риск смерти от всех причин у пациентов с хронической сердечной недостаточностью, перенесших сердечную ресинхронизирующую терапию. Кардиология. 2019; 59 (1): 5–11. DOI: 10.18087/cardio.2019.1.10211.

4. Лебедева Е.В., Нонка Т.Г., Репин А.Н., Шишнева Е.В., Счастный Е.Д., Симуткин Г.Г., Левчук Л.А. Современная психокардиология. Томск: Интегральный переплет, 2019: 160.

5. Счастный Е.Д., Симуткин Г.Г., Лебедева Е.В., Яковлева А.Л., Лосенков И.С., Репин А.Н., Нонка Т.Г. Клинико-динамические и биологические аспекты полиморфизма и эффективности терапии расстройств настроения. Сибирский медицинский журнал. 2018; 33 (3): 86–92. DOI: 10.29001/2073-8552-2018-33-3-86-92.

6. Лебедева Е.В., Счастный Е.Д., Симуткин Г.Г., Репин А.Н., Нонка Т.Г. Клиническая характеристика аффективных расстройств и эффективность антидепрессивной терапии у больных хронической ишемической болезнью сердца. Бюллетень сибирской медицины. 2018; 17 (4): 85–93. DOI: 10.20538/1682-0363-2018-4-85-93.

7. Spurgeon L., James G., Sackley C. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: a pilot study to examine its latent structure and the link between psychological state and symptom severity in transient ischaemic attack patients. Psychol. Health Med. 2016; 21 (5): 632–638. DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2015.1074711.

8. Arat S., de Cock D., Moons P., Vandenberghe J., Westhovens R. Modifiable correlates of illness perceptions in adults with chronic somatic conditions: A systematic review. Res. Nurs. Health. 2018; 41 (2): 173–184. DOI: 10.1002/nur.21852.

9. Palacios J., Khondoker M., Mann A., Tylee A., Hotopf M. Depression and anxiety symptom trajectories in coronary heart disease: Associations with measures of disability and impact on 3-year health care costs. J. Psychosom. Res. 2018; 104: 1–8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsy-chores.2017.10.015.

10. Вершута В.А., Халилова М.A., Гогниева Д.Г., Богданова Р.С., Сыркина Е.А., Меситская Д.Ф., Копылов Ф.Ю., Сыркин А.Л. Тревожные и депрессивные расстройства у больных с нарушениями сердечного ритма. Кардиология и сердечно-сосудистая хирургия. 2019; 12 (4): 314–320. DOI: 10.17116/kardio201912041314.

11. Баранов А.П., Струтынский А.В., Ойноткинова О.Ш., Баранова А.А., Тришина В.В., Голубев Ю.Ю., Кружалов А.Н. Возможности терапии тревожно-депрессивных расстройств у больных с хронической сердечной недостаточностью. Российский кардиологический журнал. 2017; 22 (1): 128–135. DOI: 10.15829/1560-4071-2017-1-128-135

12. Кубарева М.И., Ибатов А.Д. Психосоциальные факторы и ишемическая болезнь сердца. Терапевтический архив. 2019; 91 (12): 70–74. DOI: 10.26442/00403660.2019.12.000086.