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Diurnal variations of the dominant cycle length of chronic atrial fibrillation

Meurling, Carl LU ; Waktare, J E ; Holmqvist, Fredrik LU ; Hedman, A ; Camm, A J ; Olsson, Bertil LU and Malik, M (2001) In American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology 280(1). p.401-406
Abstract
High-resolution digital Holter recording was carried out in 21 patients (15 men, 64 +/- 12 yr) with chronic atrial fibrillation. Dominating atrial cycle length (DACL) was derived by frequency domain analysis of QRST-reduced electrocardiograms. Daytime mean DACL was 150 +/- 17 ms, and nighttime mean was 157 +/- 22 ms (P = 0. 0002). Diurnal fluctuation in DACL differed among patients: it tended to be virtually absent in those with a short mean DACL, but in those with longer DACL the night-day difference was as much as 23 ms (R = 0.72, P < 0.001, correlation of mean DACL to night-day difference). Mean DACL also correlated with ventricular cycle length (R = 0.40, P < 0.001), particularly at night (r = 0.49). The shorter cycle lengths... (More)
High-resolution digital Holter recording was carried out in 21 patients (15 men, 64 +/- 12 yr) with chronic atrial fibrillation. Dominating atrial cycle length (DACL) was derived by frequency domain analysis of QRST-reduced electrocardiograms. Daytime mean DACL was 150 +/- 17 ms, and nighttime mean was 157 +/- 22 ms (P = 0. 0002). Diurnal fluctuation in DACL differed among patients: it tended to be virtually absent in those with a short mean DACL, but in those with longer DACL the night-day difference was as much as 23 ms (R = 0.72, P < 0.001, correlation of mean DACL to night-day difference). Mean DACL also correlated with ventricular cycle length (R = 0.40, P < 0.001), particularly at night (r = 0.49). The shorter cycle lengths found in this study during the day are consistent with sympathetic and/or other physiological modulation, but since increased vagal tone shortens atrial refractoriness in most models, parasympathetic influences are not likely to play a major role. Alternatively, atrial effective refractory period may not be the sole determinant of atrial cycle length during atrial fibrillation. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology
volume
280
issue
1
pages
401 - 406
publisher
American Physiological Society
external identifiers
  • pmid:11123257
  • scopus:0035010022
ISSN
1522-1539
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
67d227a8-2ac1-46a6-9fe1-80eec7d8dd4f (old id 1123120)
alternative location
http://ajpheart.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/280/1/H401
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:26:38
date last changed
2022-01-27 03:49:36
@article{67d227a8-2ac1-46a6-9fe1-80eec7d8dd4f,
  abstract     = {{High-resolution digital Holter recording was carried out in 21 patients (15 men, 64 +/- 12 yr) with chronic atrial fibrillation. Dominating atrial cycle length (DACL) was derived by frequency domain analysis of QRST-reduced electrocardiograms. Daytime mean DACL was 150 +/- 17 ms, and nighttime mean was 157 +/- 22 ms (P = 0. 0002). Diurnal fluctuation in DACL differed among patients: it tended to be virtually absent in those with a short mean DACL, but in those with longer DACL the night-day difference was as much as 23 ms (R = 0.72, P &lt; 0.001, correlation of mean DACL to night-day difference). Mean DACL also correlated with ventricular cycle length (R = 0.40, P &lt; 0.001), particularly at night (r = 0.49). The shorter cycle lengths found in this study during the day are consistent with sympathetic and/or other physiological modulation, but since increased vagal tone shortens atrial refractoriness in most models, parasympathetic influences are not likely to play a major role. Alternatively, atrial effective refractory period may not be the sole determinant of atrial cycle length during atrial fibrillation.}},
  author       = {{Meurling, Carl and Waktare, J E and Holmqvist, Fredrik and Hedman, A and Camm, A J and Olsson, Bertil and Malik, M}},
  issn         = {{1522-1539}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{401--406}},
  publisher    = {{American Physiological Society}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology}},
  title        = {{Diurnal variations of the dominant cycle length of chronic atrial fibrillation}},
  url          = {{http://ajpheart.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/280/1/H401}},
  volume       = {{280}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}