Cardiovascular autonomic control and its relationship with the quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia: Preliminary study

This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular autonomic control and its relationship with the quality of life in fibromyalgia (FM). Seven women with FM and 10 healthy women (CG) were studied. The ECG and blood pressure were continuously recorded in supine and during active standing (AST). Spectral analysis provided the indices of cardiac sympathovagal modulation (LF_RR and LF_RR/HF_RR) and sympathetic vasomotor control (LFsap). Coherence between RR and SAP variability [(K²_SAP-RR(LF)] and baroreflex function (index-αLF) were quantified. Quality of life was assessed by FIQ questionnaire. In supine, FM presented higher values of sympathetic cardiovascular modulation and lower baroreflex function compared to CG, and a tendency towards an inverse relationship between FIQ and K²_SAP-RR(LF) (RS=-0.5;p=0.2). During AST, FM showed a reduced capability to increase cardiovascular sympathetic modulation compared to CG. FM presented abnormal cardiovascular autonomic profile and the reduced coherence may be related to a worst quality of life.