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

Heart Rate Variability and Inflammation: A Meta-Analysis of Human Studies. Brain Behav Immun. 2019 Mar 11;: Authors: Williams DP, Koenig J, Carnevali L, Sgoifo A, Jarczok MN, Sternberg EM, Thayer JF Abstract The 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 ...
Source: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Brain Behav Immun Source Type: research