Reduced heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity in normotensive children with repaired coarctation of the aorta

摘要

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is associated with the development of hypertension and a reduced life expectancy [1]. Despite optimal anatomical correction resulting in improved post-coarctation blood flow, individuals with successful repaired CoA maintain an elevated risk for hypertension and early mortality, suggesting that CoA is not simply an anatomical malformation [2]. The mechanisms responsible for these persistent late complications remain to be elucidated. In particular, the role of impaired autonomic control has not been thoroughly examined in patients with repaired CoA, even though alterations in autonomic regulation are hallmark features of primary hypertension [3].