Table 3 Percentual changes (expressed as median and interquartile interval) in parameters of heart rate variability analyzed in the time- and frequency-domains or using non-linear analysis during the cold face test in patients belonging to the studied groups: HIV seronegative controls (n = 35) and HIV seropositive patients of Group 1 (treated with 3TC, TDF, EFV, n = 44) and Group 2 (treated with 3TC + AZT; 3TC + TDF + LPV/r, n = 42) with suppressed viremia
| HIV seronegative controls | HIV seropositive | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Group 1 (3TC, TDF, EFV) |
Group 2 (3TC + AZT; 3TC + TDF + LPV/r) | |||
| Number | 35 | 44 | 42 | |
| Time-domain analysis | ||||
| Mean RRi (%) | + 2.93 (4.51) | + 4.25 (4.11) | + 2.71 (4.61) | NS (0.077) |
| STD RR (%) | − 8.58 (25.35) | − 6.65 (33.69) | − 10.58 (22.62) | NS (0.756) |
| pNN50 (%) | + 31.24 (128.14) | + 8.85 (97.93) | + 1.87 (113.44) | NS (0.163) |
| RMSSD (%) | + 28.85 (28.73) | + 8.76 (27.16)* | + 2.26 (38.71)* | < 0.001 |
| Frequency-domain analysis | ||||
| LF freq. (%) | 0.00 (20.14) | + 7.50 (9.80) | 0.00 (0.14) | NS (0.648) |
| LF power (%) | − 7.38 (73.34) | − 23.17 (70.54) | − 28.26 (55.55) | NS (0.265) |
| LF (n.u.) (%) | − 17.47 (30.39) | − 15.80 (27.84) | − 16.65 (25.90) | NS (0.630) |
| HF freq. (%) | − 2.86 (15.29) | + 0.77 (73.13) | 0.00 (42.36) | NS (0.274) |
| HF power (%) | + 16.43 (64.17) | + 26.29 (76.26) | + 12.23 (89.63) | NS (0.366) |
| HF (n.u.) (%) | + 3.78 (78.35) | + 22.22 (58.89) | + 26.76 (63.57) | NS (0.268) |
| LF/HF ratio (%) | − 28.57 (82.73) | − 32.31 (45.82) | − 40.83 (50.10) | NS (0.792) |
| Non-linear analysis | ||||
| Poincaré Plot | ||||
| SD1 (%) | − 1.67 (19.33) | + 8.88 (27.90) | + 2.08 (38.00) | NS (0.159) |
| SD2 (%) | − 11.54 (25.98) | − 9.63 (40.32) | − 14.36 (23.50) | NS (0.592) |
| Recurrence plot | ||||
| Mean line length (%) | − 15.67 (59.71) | − 23.37 (36.47) | − 9.64 (30.21) | NS (0.060) |
| Max line length (%) | − 29.92 (63.68) | − 53.41 (28.09) | − 42.76 (55.93) | NS (0.054) |
| Recurrence rate (%) | − 7.59 (41.91) | − 19.02 (26.01) | − 6.11 (23.10) | NS (0.107) |
| Determinism rate (%) | − 0.83 (1.19) | − 0.91 (1.43) | − 0.33 (0.91) | NS (0.077) |
| Detrended fluctuation analysis | ||||
| α1 (%) | − 6.94 (16.69) | − 14.04 (24.51) | − 11.77 (21.84) | NS (0.085) |
| α2 (%) | + 4.51 (37.56) | + 4.45 (23.96) | + 2.50 (29.34) | NS (0.952) |
| Complexity | ||||
| Approximate entropy (%) | − 5.23 (19.44) | − 11.68 (21.66) | − 11.88 (12.78) | NS (0.194) |
| Sample entropy (%) | + 6.25 (29.68) | + 11.97 (40.57) | + 11.31 (26.59) | NS (0.779) |
| Correlation dimension (%) | − 13.76 (43.78) | − 4.13 (84.48) | − 12.03 (50.13) | NS (0.849) |