This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Google Scholar Articles by Shcheslavskaya, O. V. Articles by Sloan, R. P. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shcheslavskaya, O. V. Articles by Sloan, R. P. Related Collections Aging Parasympathetic Nervous System Psychophysiology Sympathetic Nervous System Other Cardiovascular Medicine

Heart Rate Recovery After Cognitive Challenge Is Preserved With Age

From the Division of Behavioral Medicine (O.V.S., R.P.S., P.S.M.), Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Division of General Medicine (J.E.S., M.M.B.), Columbia University School of Medicine, New York, New York; Department of Internal Medicine (M.M.B.), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biobehavioral Health (W.G.), College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychology (C.D.R.), and Institute on Aging and Adult Life, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Center for Population and Health (M.W.), Georgetown University, Washington, DC; and the Division of Geriatrics (T.E.S.), University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Olga V. Shcheslavskaya, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032. E-mail: os2184{at}columbia.edu

Objective: To investigate the effect of age on heart rate recovery (HRR) from cognitive challenge.

Background: Aging is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. HRR from exercise is an established predictor of cardiac morbidity and mortality, and evidence suggests that HRR from cognitive challenge is predictive of cardiac morbidity as well. Aging is associated with delayed HRR from exercise stress, but little is known about the effect of aging on HRR from psychological stress. We tested the hypothesis that age would be related to delayed HRR from psychological stress.

Methods: HRR post exposure to cognitive challenge (mental arithmetic and Stroop) was investigated in a sample of 436 participants aged 35 to 84 years in MIDUS II, a national study of health and well-being. HRR was measured as 1) the amount of change from the stress level; 2) time to recover; and 3) the area under the curve. The analyses were controlled for medical comorbidities and medications that influence HR, such as body mass index, smoking, sex, menopausal status, and amount of physical activity/exercise.

Results: There was no effect for age on HRR as evaluated by all three recovery assessment methods.

Conclusions: Contrary to expectation and in contrast to findings concerning HRR from exercise, HRR from cognitive challenge was preserved with age. These findings require further inquiry into differential mechanism(s) underlying HRR from psychological versus exercise stress, including any role for improved emotion regulation with greater age.

Key Words: heart rate recovery • aging • autonomic nervous system • area under the curve • rumination

Abbreviations: HR = heart rate; HRR = heart rate recovery; AUC = area under the curve; ECG = electrocardiogram.