Fractal mechanisms and heart rate control: Long-range correlations and their breakdown with disease

C. K. Peng*, S. Havlin, J. M. Hausdorff, J. E. Mietus, H. E. Stanley, A. L. Goldberger

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Under healthy conditions, the normal cardiac (sinus) interbeat interval fluctuates in a complex manner. Quantitative analysis using techniques adapted from statistical physics reveals the presence of long-range power-law correlations extending over thousands of heartbeats. This scale-invariant (fractal) behavior suggests that the regulatory system generating these fluctuations is operating far from equilibrium. In contrast, we find that for subjects at high risk of sudden death (e.g. congestive heart failure patients) these long-range correlations break down. Application of fractal scaling analysis and related techniques provides new approaches to assessing cardiac risk and forecasting sudden cardiac death, as well as motivating development of novel physiological models of systems that appear to be 'hetero-dynamic' rather than 'homeo-static.'.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFrontiers of Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Analysis
PublisherIOS Press
Pages3-14
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9051993129, 9789051993127
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997
Externally publishedYes
Event3rd International Workshop on Computer Analysis of Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Signals - Florence, Italy
Duration: 1 May 19951 May 1995

Publication series

NameStudies in Health Technology and Informatics
Volume35
ISSN (Print)0926-9630
ISSN (Electronic)1879-8365

Conference

Conference3rd International Workshop on Computer Analysis of Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Signals
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityFlorence
Period1/05/951/05/95

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