Key clinical point: Heart rate variability (HRV) is a predictor of survival and intensive care unit (ICU) admission in older adults hospitalized with COVID-19.
Major finding: After adjusting for age and chronic heart disease, HRV was a significant predictor of survival (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] with low vs high HRV, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.27-0.97). This association was primarily driven by patients aged ≥70 years (aHR with low vs high HRV, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.12-0.66). HRV also predicted ICU admission within the first week of hospitalization (adjusted HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.29-0.90), independent of age and chronic heart disease.
Study details: The data come from a retrospective cohort study involving 271 consecutive adults hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 2020 and May 2020.
Disclosures: The study did not receive any specific funding. The authors declared no competing interests.
Source: Mol MBA et al. PLoS One. 2021 Oct 28. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258841 .