Cardiovascular Reactivity to Acute Mental Stress in Post Ovulatory Females

  • Karishma Rajbhandari Pandey Department of Basic and Clinical Physiology, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
  • Rita Khadka Department of Basic and Clinical Physiology, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
  • Kopila Agrawal Department of Physiology, Birat Medical College, Nepal
  • Bishnu Hari Paudel Department of Basic and Clinical Physiology, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
  • Dipesh Raj Panday Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, B.P.Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33314/jnhrc.v18i4.2555

Abstract

Background: Female hormones fluctuate with the phases of menstrual cycle. Estrogen, which has attributes in cardio-protection, is secreted less during luteal phase. In post-ovulatory phase, days 1-2 before menstruation has minimal female hormone influence due to less secretion. Mental stress subjected at this phase might enhance sympathetic activation which in long run may precipitate cardiovascular diseases. Hence, to explore the autonomic activity to mental stress during this phase of menstrual cycle the study was undertaken.
Methods: Thirty apparently healthy young postovulatory female medical students of B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal of age 19.93 (± 0.91) years with BMI of 20.70 kg/m2 (± 2.49) kg/m2 were recruited for the present study. Their short term heart rate variability (HRV) of 5 min was recorded during rest at sitting position. Then each subject was given a mental stress (nine questions selected from MENSA workout questionnaire) for 5 min. During the stress, HRV was recorded simultaneously. Data was statistically analyzed using Friedman test followed by multiple comparisons. The p<0.005 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Mental stress significantly decreased RMSSD (p= 0.001), NN50 (p= 0.001) and PNN50 (p=0.001) in time domain and HF nu (p=0.012) in frequency domain parameters of HRV.
Conclusions: Young healthy post ovulatory females responded to acute mental stress by withdrawing cardiac parasympathetic activity.
Keywords: Female; HRV; mental stress

Published
2021-01-21
How to Cite
Rajbhandari PandeyK., KhadkaR., AgrawalK., PaudelB. H., & PandayD. R. (2021). Cardiovascular Reactivity to Acute Mental Stress in Post Ovulatory Females . Journal of Nepal Health Research Council, 18(4), 626-631. https://doi.org/10.33314/jnhrc.v18i4.2555
Issue
Vol. 18 No. 4 (2020): Vol. 18 No. 4 Issue 49 Oct-Dec 2020
Section
Original Article

Copyright (c) 2021 Karishma Rajbhandari Pandey, Rita Khadka, Kopila Agrawal, Bishnu Hari Paudel, Dipesh Raj Panday

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