The relationship between red blood cell distribution width and heart rate variability in patients with chronic heart failure

Objective: To investigate the relationship between red blood cell distribution width(RDW-CV) and heart rate variability(HRV) in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods: The RDW-CV and HRV in 80 patients with CHF(the observation group) and 80 normal old people(the control group) were compared.The RDW-CV and HRV in patiants with different New York Heart Association cardiac function class were observed,and the correlation of RDW-CV and HRV of which was analyzed.Results: The RDW-CV in observation group was higher than that in control group(P<0.01),the SDNN and SDANN in observation group were lower than those in control group(P<0.01).The RDW-CV in patients with cardiac function class Ⅲ-Ⅳ was significantly higher than that in patients with cardiac function class Ⅱ(P<0.01),and the standerd deviatian of the mean of all normal RR intervais within 24 h(SDNN)and standard deviation of the mean of all 5 minutes segments of normal RR intervals(SDANN)in patients with cardiac function class Ⅲ-Ⅳ were significantly lower than those in patients with cardiac function class Ⅱ(P<0.01).The RDW-CV was negatively correlated with the SDNN and SDANN in observation group(P<0.01).Conclusions: The RDW-CV in CHF patients is associated with autonomic nerve especially the excessive activation of sympathetic nerve.