Two weeks of remote ischaemic preconditioning alters sympathovagal balance in healthy humans.

Remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC), induced by brief periods of ischaemia followed by reperfusion, protects against ischaemia-reperfusion injury and improves microvascular function. However, the effect of RIPC on autonomic function remains unclear. We hypothesized that RIPC, administered as a single bout or repeated over a 2-week period, will increase markers of cardiac vagal control measured by heart rate variability (HRV). Thirty-two young adults performed a single bout (n = 13), repeated bouts (n = 11), or served as a time control (n = 8). RIPC sessions consisted of four repetitions of 5 min unilateral brachial artery occlusion interspersed by 5 min of reperfusion. For the single bout protocol, resting lead II electrocardiogram (ECG) was collected before and 24, 48, 72 and 168 h post-RIPC. The repeated bout protocol consisted of three 4-day periods of RIPC training, each interspersed by a 1-day break. Similar to time controls, ECG was collected before and 24 h after the last RIPC bout. HRV was analysed by power spectral density and symbolic dynamics using 350-beat ECG segments. After a single bout of RIPC, no changes in HRV were observed at any time point (P > 0.05). After 2 weeks of repeated RIPC, the percentage of zero-variation fragments (baseline = 13.1 ± 1.9%, post-RIPC = 6.9 ± 1.5%, P < 0.05) and the LF/HF ratio decreased (baseline = 1.1 ± 0.2, post-RIPC = 0.7 ± 0.1, P < 0.01), whereas the percentage of two-variation fragments increased (baseline = 42.9 ± 3.6%, post-RIPC = 52.5 ± 3.0%, P < 0.01). These data indicate that repeated RIPC is necessary to elicit changes in sympathovagal balance, specifically resulting in increased vagal and decreased sympathetic activity.