Highlights
- •Ageing produces longer periods of atrial depolarization.
- •Greater aerobic fitness is linked with longer atrial electrical conduction times.
- •Older, fit adults have longer atrial durations vs. young and less fit older adults.
- •This latter finding may be due to enhanced vagal tone and/or cardiac remodeling.
Abstract
Long-term endurance training is associated with an increased risk of atrial arrhythmia
in older adults (OA). We tested the hypothesis that Aerobically-Fit OA would have
prolonged indices related to atrial arrhythmias (e.g. PR-intervals and P durations)
compared to younger adults (YA) and Aerobically-Unfit OA. 10–minute stable supine
electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings were collected at 1000 Hz in 15 YA (4F, 22 ± 2 years,
50.7 ± 8.5 ml/kg/min), 11 Aerobically-Unfit OA (6♀, 63 ± 7 years, 25.2 ± 2.3 ml/kg/min)
and 10 Aerobically-Fit OA (4F, 64 ± 3 years, 45.5 ± 7.0 ml/kg/min) to assess ECG morphology
and spectral indices of heart rate variability. In the pooled sample, age was a predictor
of PR-interval (r = 0.75) and P wave duration (r = 0.80) (both, p < 0.01). Regardless of age, aerobic fitness was positively associated with PR interval
duration (r = 0.81; p < 0.01). Aerobically-Fit OA had prolonged PR-intervals (187 ± 17 vs 161 ± 14 vs.
168 ± 20 ms) and P-wave durations (123 ± 9 vs. 97 ± 9 vs. 96 ± 9 ms) compared to YA
and Aerobically-Unfit OA, respectively (all, p < 0.05). In addition, Aerobically-Fit OA had greater normalized high-frequency (HF)
power compared to Aerobically-Unfit OA (40.7 ± 4.5nu vs. 30.1 ± 14.2 ± nu; p = 0.03) suggestive of enhance parasympathetic tone. These data highlight that the
combination of age-related electrical remodeling and enhanced vagal tone in OA with
higher aerobic fitness may contribute to prolongation of atrial-related ECG indices.
This is further supported by the correlation between HF power and PR-interval duration
(r = 0.45; p = 0.02). These findings may help identify older individuals at risk for atrial arrhythmias
who are otherwise free of cardiovascular disease.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 28, 2019
Accepted:
January 27,
2019
Received in revised form:
January 25,
2019
Received:
September 7,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
