Cardiovascular Pharmacology: Open Access

Edward G Lakatta

Publications

• Short Communication
  The Fractal-like Complexity of Heart Rate Variability beyond Neurotransmitters and Autonomic Receptors: Signaling Intrinsic to Sinoatrial Node Pacemaker Cells
  Author(s): Yael Yaniv, Alexey E Lyashkov and Edward G LakattaYael Yaniv, Alexey E Lyashkov and Edward G Lakatta
  
  The heart rate and rhythm are controlled by complex chaotic neural, chemical and hormonal networks which are not strictly regular, but exhibit fluctuations across multiple time scales. A careful assessment of the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) offers clues to this complexity. A reduction in HRV, specifically in advanced age, is associated with increase in morbidity and mortality. Mechanisms that induce this decrease, however, have not been fully elucidated. The classical literature characterizes changes in HRV as a result of changes in the balance of competing influences of the sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic impulses delivered to the heart. It has now become clear, however, that the heart rate and HRV are also determined by intrinsic properties of the pacemaker cells that comprise sinoatrial node, and that these properties respond to autonomic receptor stimulation in a non-li.. View More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2329-6607.1000111

  Abstract PDF