Baroreflex Sensitivity Assessment Using the Sequence Method with Delayed Signals in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients

Abstract

Impaired baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is partially responsible for erratic blood pressure fluctuations in End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD), which is related to autonomic nervous dysfunction. The sequence method with delayed signals allows for the measurement of BRS in a non-invasive fashion and the investigation of alterations in this physiological feedback system that maintains BP within healthy limits. Our objective was to evaluate the modified delayed signals in the sequence method for BRS assessment in ESRD patients without pharmacological antihypertensive treatment and compare them with those of healthy subjects. We recruited 22 healthy volunteers and 18 patients with ESRD. We recorded continuous BP to obtain a 15-min time series of systolic blood pressure and interbeat intervals during the supine position (SP) and active standing (AS) position. The time series with delays from 0 to 5 heartbeats were used to calculate the BRS, number of data points, number of sequences, and estimation error. The BRS from the ESRD patients was smaller than in healthy subjects (p < 0.05). The BRS estimation with the delayed sequences also increased the number of data points and sequences and decreased the estimation error compared to the original time series. The modified sequence method with delayed signals may be useful for the measurement of baroreflex sensitivity in ESRD patients with a shorter recording time and maintaining an estimation error below 0.01 in both the supine and active standing positions. With this framework, it was corroborated that baroreflex sensitivity in ESRD is decreased when compared with healthy subjects.