Work Ability Assessment and Its Relationship with Cardiovascular Autonomic Profile in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Barbic, Franca; Minonzio, Maura; Cairo, Beatrice; Shiffer, Dana; Zamuner, Antonio Roberto; Cavalieri, Silvia; Dipaola, Franca; Magnavita, Nicola; Porta, Alberto; Furlan, Raffaello

doi:10.3390/ijerph17217836

Open AccessArticle

Work Ability Assessment and Its Relationship with Cardiovascular Autonomic Profile in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

by

Franca Barbic

^1,2,*

,

Maura Minonzio

¹,

Beatrice Cairo

³

,

Dana Shiffer

¹,

Antonio Roberto Zamuner

⁴

,

Silvia Cavalieri

⁵,

Franca Dipaola

^1,2,

Nicola Magnavita

^5,6

,

Alberto Porta

^3,7

and

Raffaello Furlan

^1,2

¹

Internal Medicine, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center—IRCCS, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano-Milan, Italy

²

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20090 Pieve Emanuele-Milan, Italy

³

Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy

⁴

Departamento de Kinesiología, Universidad Católica del Maule, 3480112 Talca, Maule, Chile

⁵

Department of Life Sciences & Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy

⁶

Department of Woman, Children & Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli—IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy

⁷

Department of Cardiothoracic, Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(21), 7836; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217836

Submission received: 2 September 2020 / Revised: 21 October 2020 / Accepted: 21 October 2020 / Published: 26 October 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cardiovascular Neural Regulation in Adults from Daily Life to Occupational Environment)

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Abstract

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) negatively impacts quality of life. The excessive increase in cardiac sympathetic modulation during standing, which characterizes POTS patients, leads to many symptoms and signs of orthostatic intolerance. Little is known about the consequences of the disease on work performance and its relationship with individual autonomic profiles. Twenty-two POTS patients regularly engaged in working activity (20 females, age 36 ± 12 years) and 18 gender- and age-matched controls underwent a clinical evaluation and filled out the Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire. POTS patients completed the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score (COMPASS31) questionnaire, underwent continuous electrocardiogram, blood pressure and respiratory activity recordings while supine and during a 75° head-up tilt (HUT). A power spectrum analysis provided the index of cardiac sympatho-vagal balance (LF/HF). WAI scores were significantly reduced in POTS patients (29.84 ± 1.40) compared to controls (45.63 ± 0.53, p < 0.01). A significant inverse correlation was found between individual WAI and COMPASS31 scores (r = −0.46; p = 0.03), HUT increase in heart rate (r = −0.57; p = 0.01) and LF/HF (r = −0.55; p = 0.01). In POTS patients, the WAI scores were inversely correlated to the intensity of autonomic symptoms and to the excessive cardiac sympathetic activation induced by the gravitational stimulus.

Keywords: autonomic nervous system; heart rate variability; arterial pressure; baroreflex; spectral analysis; head-up tilt; work ability

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MDPI and ACS Style

Barbic, F.; Minonzio, M.; Cairo, B.; Shiffer, D.; Zamuner, A.R.; Cavalieri, S.; Dipaola, F.; Magnavita, N.; Porta, A.; Furlan, R. Work Ability Assessment and Its Relationship with Cardiovascular Autonomic Profile in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7836. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217836

AMA Style

Barbic F, Minonzio M, Cairo B, Shiffer D, Zamuner AR, Cavalieri S, Dipaola F, Magnavita N, Porta A, Furlan R. Work Ability Assessment and Its Relationship with Cardiovascular Autonomic Profile in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(21):7836. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217836

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barbic, Franca, Maura Minonzio, Beatrice Cairo, Dana Shiffer, Antonio Roberto Zamuner, Silvia Cavalieri, Franca Dipaola, Nicola Magnavita, Alberto Porta, and Raffaello Furlan. 2020. "Work Ability Assessment and Its Relationship with Cardiovascular Autonomic Profile in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 21: 7836. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217836

APA Style

Barbic, F., Minonzio, M., Cairo, B., Shiffer, D., Zamuner, A. R., Cavalieri, S., Dipaola, F., Magnavita, N., Porta, A., & Furlan, R. (2020). Work Ability Assessment and Its Relationship with Cardiovascular Autonomic Profile in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21), 7836. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217836

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Work Ability Assessment and Its Relationship with Cardiovascular Autonomic Profile in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

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