Functional study of autonomic nervous system of the heart in patients with aggressive and indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

A state of autonomic nervous system of the heart was evaluated by the standard autonomic tests (deep breathing, Valsalva maneuver, and orthostatic test) and analysis of the heart rate variability, mean value of RR interval, and RR interval standard deviation. Analysis of data showed damage of autonomic nervous system in the heart of patients with aggressive and indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The study showed that 50% of patients had cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, 33% patients had reduction of heart rate variability, associated with anemia and the age over 60 years. The presence of biochemical markers of tumor activity was an additional factor associated with cardiovascular neuropathy. Two clinical examples of associations between anemia, tumor activity biochemical markers, and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (the initial damage) in a patient with diffuse large B"cell lymphoma and in a patient with small lymphocytic lymphoma are discussed in the article.