Heart Rate Variability and Inflammation: A Meta-Analysis of Human Studies

Publication date: Available online 11 March 2019Source: Brain, Behavior, and ImmunityAuthor(s): DeWayne P. Williams, Julian Koenig, Luca Carnevali, Andrea Sgoifo, Marc N. Jarczok, Esther M. Sternberg, Julian F. ThayerAbstractThe inflammatory reflex is known as the body’s primary defense against infection and has been implicated in a number of diseases. The magnitude of the inflammatory response is important, as an extreme or insufficient response can be differentially harmful to the individual. Converging evidence suggests that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates the inflammatory reflex. Heart rate variability (HRV) can be separated into components that primarily reflect parasympathetic (PNS) or vagal activity (i.e., indices of vagally mediated HRV) and a combination of both sympathetic (SNS) and PNS influences. Given the physiological relation between the vagus and inflammatory processes, one would expect to find higher HRV, especially indices of vagally-mediated HRV, to be associated with decreased levels of inflammation via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. However, existing findings here are mixed, such that studies have also shown a positive association between indices of HRV and markers of inflammation. Therefore, the present meta-analysis aimed to synthesize existing studies, estimating the general direction and strength of the relationship between different indices of HRV and inflammatory markers. A systematic search of the literature yielded 2,283...

Source: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - March 11, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research