Structural and functional changes evaluated by echocardiography in patients with systemic sclerosis and heart rate variability

Objective: to estimate heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SS) and to investigate their relationship to echocardiographic structural and functional changes in the heart. Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled 125 patients with SS and 50 gender- and age-matched apparently healthy individuals who made up a control group. In addition to clinical examinations, 73 patients underwent HRV assessment from 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring results and 121 patients had echocardiography (EchoCG). 24-hour Holter ECG monitoring was carried out in all control individuals. Results and discussion. Examination of the main parameters of time-domain HRV in patients with SS revealed a significant decline in all temporal and spectral indices, except for the mean R-R interval duration (meanNN), as compared with the control group. EchoCG detected a variety of changes, primarily the induration and calcification of aortic and mitral valves in most patients. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was encountered in almost half of the patients with SS. Eight patients had a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), which was