Spectral Analysis of Heart Rate Variability in Women

Heart activity is largely modulated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which promotes rapid adjustments in the cardiovascular system during different stimuli (i.e., physical exercise, mental stress and postural change) (Hainsworth, 1998). HRV is a noninvasive measure used to analyze the influence of the autonomic nervous system on the heart, providing information about both sympathetic and parasympathetic contributions to consecutive heart rate (HR) oscillations. It has been proposed that a decrease in HRV is a powerful predictor of morbidity and mortality resulting from arrhythmic complications. HRV decreases with age (Catai et al., 2002; Melo et al., 2005) as a consequence of parasympathetic reduction and predominance of sympathetic modulation (Lipsitz et al., 1990; Longo & Correia, 1995; Akselrod, 1995).