Racial Differences in Heart Rate Variability During Sleep in Women: The Study of Women Across the Nation Sleep Study

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Martica Hall, University of Pittsburgh; Kellie Middleton, University of Pittsburgh; Julian F Thayer, Ohio State University; Tene Lewis, Emory University; Christopher E. Kline, University of Pittsburgh; Karen A. Matthews, University of Pittsburgh; Howard M. Kravitz, Rush University; Robert T. Krafty, Temple University; Daniel J. Buysse, University of Pittsburgh
• Language: English
• Date: 2013-10-01
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2013 by the American Psychosomatic Society.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3182a7ec5c
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Psychosomatic Medicine
• ISSN: 0033-3174
• Volume: 75
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: 783
• End Page: 790
• Grant/Funding Information: Sleep data were processed with the support of RR024153 and UL1TR000005.; In addition, support for authors M. Hall, R. Krafty and J. Thayer was provided by HL104607.; Funding for the SWAN Sleep Study is from the National Institute on Aging (Grants AG019360, AG019361, AG019362, AG019363).; The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) has grant support from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, through the National Institute on Aging; the National Institute of Nursing Research; and the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health (Grants NR004061; AG012505; AG012535; AG012531; AG012539; AG012546; AG012553; AG012554; AG012495).
• Keywords: Science & Technology; race; Psychology, Multidisciplinary; COHORT; AGE; Psychology; UNITED-STATES; NERVOUS-SYSTEM; Social Sciences; women; METABOLIC SYNDROME; heart rate variability; cardiovasular disease; CARDIOVASCULAR RISK; autonomic tone; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; RACE; SWAN SLEEP; Psychiatry; sleep; STROKE; MIDLIFE WOMEN
• Research Categories: Psychology, Psychobiology; Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) differs markedly by race, yet few studies have evaluated these relationships in women, and none have done so during sleep (sHRV). Methods: We addressed these gaps by examining sHRV in women of African American, Chinese American, or European American origin or descent (mean [standard deviation] age = 51.2 [2.2] years). Results: HRV during Stage 2 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep differed significantly by race after adjusting for possible confounders. Normalized high-frequency HRV was significantly lower in European American compared with African American and Chinese American participants (European American NREM = 0.35 [0.01], REM = 0.23 [0.01]; African American NREM = 0.43 [0.02], REM = 0.29 [0.02]; Chinese American NREM = 0.47 [0.03], REM = 0.33 [0.02]; p values <.001). European Americans also exhibited higher low-to-high-frequency HRV ratios during sleep compared with African American and Chinese American women (European American NREM = 2.42 [1.07], REM = 5.05 [1.07]; African American NREM = 1.69 [1.09], REM = 3.51 [1.09]; Chinese American NREM = 1.35 [1.07], REM = 2.88 [1.13]; p values <.001). Conclusions: Race was robustly related to sHRV. Compared with women of African American or Chinese American origin or descent, European American women exhibited decreased vagally mediated control of the heart during sleep. Prospective data are needed to evaluate whether sHRV, including race differences, predicts cardiovasular disease.