Capacidade funcional e variabilidade da frequência cardíaca em crianças e adolescentes asmáticos

Abstract

Introduction: Studies suggest that regular adjustments in autonomic nervous system modulation are the result of chronic conditions such as inflammation and low level of physical activity in asthmatic children and adolescents. Objective of this study was to evaluate and compare heart rate variability in asthmatic children and adolescents with their control pairs, and correlate with functional capacity, oxygen consumption and asthma severity. Objective: to evaluate and compare heart rate variability in asthmatic children and adolescents with their control pairs, and to correlate with functional capacity, oxygen consumption and asthma severity. Method: A total of 94 individuals were evaluated, 47 in the asthma group (GA) and 47 in the control group (CG), healthy individuals with mean age of 11 ± 3 years. Asthmatics were in follow-up and control of the disease, and the healthy without acute or chronic diseases. The volunteers underwent heart rate variability (HRV) evaluation for twenty minutes in sitting by a frequency meter and a bandage wrapped around the chest. The variables measured were components of low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and the relationship between them, and rMSSD, parasympathetic activity. The functional capacity was evaluated by the shutte walk test (SWT) and the distance covered (DP) was the outcome variable. Results: No significant difference was observed between groups in SWT distance p> 0.05. The groups showed similarity in HRV but with no statistical difference between groups p> 0.05. No significant correlation was observed between PD and HF, LF, LF / HF and rMSSD for both groups. Significant and negative correlation was observed between the RMSSD and the distance covered (r = -0.5, p = 0.01) for asthmatic children aged ≥ 13 years. Conclusions: Asthmatic children and adolescents, with controlled disease, behave similarly to their healthy peers in relation to functional capacity and HRV. This result makes us understand that asthma, even being a chronic inflammatory disease, does not reduce functional capacity and does not alter the sympatho-vagal condition of children and adolescents.