Self-Monitoring of Cardiac Autonomic Function at Home Is Feasible

摘要

BackgroundCardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is associated with diabetes and may be related to the development of hypertension, ischemic stroke, and a number of other late complications. The earliest sign of CAN is a reduction of heart rate variability (HRV). Standard HRV tests for CAN include expiration-to-inspiration ratio, response to active standing (30:15), and the Valsalva maneuver. Because of the technical requirements for these tests, they are limited to the point-of-care office or a clinical laboratory setting. It is unknown if a “white-coat“ phenomenon exists in autonomic neuropathy testing and if home testing is feasible. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the reproducibility of CAN testing in a clinical setting, (2) to evaluate the feasibility of self-monitoring of cardiovascular autonomic function at home, and (3) report possible differences in measurements taken at the hospital versus those taken at home.