To study heart rate variability and biomarker analysis in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of chronic systemic inflammatory arthritis. Research participants with a recent diagnosis of RA will have their cardiovascular autonomic functioning assessed by measuring their resting heart rate variability.
Materials & Methods: The present study was a case-control investigation undertaken at the Neurophysiology laboratory, specifically within the Department of Physiology, GMC Siddipet, Telangana, India. The study was conducted from June 2022 to May 2023. A total of 20 individuals who had just received a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis were selected for participation in this study. These individuals were recruited from the Rheumatology outpatient department at the GMC Siddipet, Telangana, India.
Result: In RA patients, the heart rate and systolic blood pressure were higher. Patients with RA had significantly lower SDNN, SDSD, RMSSD, NN50, LF and HF power in nu and total power than healthy controls. Seropositive patients had higher LF power in the normalized unit than seronegative individuals. When compared to seronegative patients, the LF/HF ratio rose in seropositive patients. Seropositive participants had lower HF power in the normalized unit than seronegative subjects did. We also noticed that the study group had higher RF, CRP, and platelet counts, which were related to higher sympathovagal imbalance. This shows how significant these factors are in the development of cardiovascular risk in RA patients.
Conclusion: The standard basic investigation of RA can include the straightforward, noninvasive resting HRV analysis. Regular evaluation of the biomarker’s platelet count, CRP and RF may aid in the early detection of cardiovascular complications in RA patients.