AUTHOR=Hashimoto Kenichi , Harada Naomi , Kimata Motohiro , Kawamura Yusuke , Fujita Naoya , Sekizawa Akinori , Ono Yosuke , Obuchi Yasuhiro , Takayama Tadateru , Kasamaki Yuji , Tanaka Yuji 

TITLE=Age-related reference intervals for ambulatory electrocardiographic parameters in healthy individuals

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1099157

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2023.1099157

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=Background: The advent of novel monitoring technologies has dramatically increased the use of ambulatory electrocardiography (AECG) devices. However, few studies have conducted detailed large-scale investigations on the incidence of arrhythmias over 24 h, especially ectopy, in healthy individuals over a wide age range.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the incidence of arrhythmias detected using AECG and associated factors, in healthy individuals, over a wide age range.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we performed AECG on 365 healthy volunteers (median [interquartile range]: 48 [36, 67], 20–89 years, 165 men) under free-running conditions for 24 h. Ultrasonic echocardiography and heart rate variability analysis were performed to explore the factors associated with the incidence of arrhythmias.

Results: The 97.5th percentile of single ventricular ectopy (VE) was 149/day, 254/day, and 1682/day in the 20–39-, 40–59- and 60–89-year age groups, respectively; that of single supraventricular ectopy (SVE) was 131/day, 232/day, and 1063/day, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that aging was the only independent significant factor influencing the frequency of VE (β=0.207, P=0.001). Age (β=0.642, P<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (β=-0.112, P=0.009), and the root mean square of successive differences in RR intervals (β=0.097, P=0.035) were factors significantly associated with SVE frequency.

Conclusions: Age-specific reference intervals of VE and SVE in a large population of healthy participants over a wide age range were generated. VE and SVE increased with age; SVE was influenced by BMI and the aging-induced decrease in parasympathetic tone activity.