Heart Rate Variability and Length of Survival in Hospice Cancer Patients.
10.3346/jkms.2010.25.8.1140
- Author:
Do Hoon KIM
1
;
Jeong A KIM
;
Youn Seon CHOI
;
Su Hyun KIM
;
June Young LEE
;
Young Eun KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Family Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. younseon@korea.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Terminal Care;
Life Expectancy;
Prognosis;
Heart Rate Variability
- MeSH:
Adult;
Aged;
Aged, 80 and over;
Female;
Heart Rate/*physiology;
Hospices;
Humans;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Multivariate Analysis;
Neoplasms/*mortality;
Prognosis;
Survival Analysis;
Terminal Care
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
2010;25(8):1140-1145
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
We examined the association between heart rate variability (HRV) and survival duration to evaluate the usefulness of HRV as a prognostic factor for hospice cancer patients. In terminally ill cancer patients who visited the Hospice clinic, we checked demographic data, Karnofsky performance scale (KPS), HRV, dyspnea, anorexia, as well as fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol. After following up their duration of survival, we examined meaningful prognostic factors for predicting life expectancy through the survival analysis. A total of 68 patients were included in final analysis. As KPS was lower, or when combined with dyspnea or anorexia, the survival duration was much shorter. HRV parameters except heart rate were all impaired in most patients. In particular, the group with mean heart rate of 100 or more beats per minute and the group with standard deviations of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDNN) of 21.3 ms (75 percentile) or less showed significantly shorter survival duration. The final multivariate analysis adjusting for age, gender, fasting blood glucose, and total cholesterol showed that KPS, dyspnea, anorexia, and SDNN were significant prognostic factors in survival duration. For the first time, we report that SDNN is a prognostic factor in terminal cancer patients.
