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. 2022 Jan 13:9:100113.
doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100113. eCollection 2022 Feb.

The impact of myocardial infarction on basal and stress-induced heart rate variability and cortisol secretion in women: A pilot study

N F Narvaez Linares  1 , K Munelith-Souksanh  1   2 , A F N Tanguay  3 , H Plamondon  1
Affiliations

The impact of myocardial infarction on basal and stress-induced heart rate variability and cortisol secretion in women: A pilot study

N F Narvaez Linares et al. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. .

Abstract

Coronary heart disease (CHD), of which myocardial infarction (MI) is a subtype, is the leading cause of death for women. Nonetheless, women remain neglected in CHD research, resulting in treatments and recommendations being primarily based on data collected in men. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have supported dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) following cardiac arrest and MI to promote the development of mental health disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder). However, studies addressing changes in HPAA activation under basal and stress-induced conditions in women samples have been lacking. Thus, we conducted this study to determine basal and stress-induced changes in heart rate, respiration and cortisol secretion (via 8 saliva samples) in a sample of women with a history of MI (n = 13) and a control group (n = 16). We measured altered stress reactivity through exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test. In addition, participants completed questionnaires assessing perceived stress and mental health status (i.e., anxiety and mood). Overall, our findings indicated comparable assessments of perceived situational stress in both groups. Interestingly, salivary cortisol secretion support reduced stress-induced HPAA activation related to TSST exposure in MI women compared to control counterparts. Our observations are consistent with findings supporting glucocorticoid resistance noted following MI and cardiac arrest. Akin to cardiac arrest survivors, HPAA dysregulation in MI survivors could have an impact on the development of mental health disorders. More studies are needed to address this critical question.

Keywords: Cortisol; Heart rate; Myocardial infarction; Perceived stress; Trier social stress test; Women.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Timeline of the study Note. LT = Local time; TTSST = Calculated time from the TSST; 0 being the beginning of the TSST; TE = Time elapsed since the arrival of the participant.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Change in PANAS Scores throughout the study period Note. This figure describes the changes in PANAS Scores from the beginning to the end of the study in the A)NoMI Group and the B)MI Group. The PANAS was administered at T1 (Time 1 prior to the TSST), T4 (after the TSST) and at T8 (after all of the assessments).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Change in STAI-SA Scores throughout the study period Note. The STAI-SA was administered at T1 (prior to the TSST), T4 (after the administration of the TSST and at T8 (Post-Ax).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
STAI-TA Scores as a function of the study groups Note. The STAI-TA was administered once at T1 only.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Salivary Cortisol Concentration throughout the study.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
A)AUCG, B)AUCI, and C) Peak Reactivity compared between the study groups.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Change in RSA Value throughout the study period Note. All RSA values were corrected using the recognized acclimatization period (T2).
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Repeated-measure correlations between STAI-SA at T1, T3, T8and cortisol concentration at T2, T4, T8for A) the NoMI group and B) the MI group and repeated-measure correlation between STAI-SA at T1, T3, T8and RSA at T2, T4, T8for C) the NoMI group and D) the MI group.
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