Effects of Vital Exhaustion on Cardiac Autonomic Nervous
This journal article describes a study that investigated the effects of vital exhaustion (VE) on cardiac autonomic functions in relation to working conditions such as overtime and frequent business trips and to lifestyles such as smoking. Fifty-two male workers, age 30 to 55, of an electric instrument corporation were examined for VE and cardiac autonomic function in an annual health checkup. The Maastricht Questionnaire was used to evaluate VE. Cardiac autonomic function at supine rest was assessed by spectral analysis of heart rate variability. The mean amplitude of the high frequency (HF) component was lower in the high-VE group, whereas no significant difference in the ratio of the low frequency (LF) component to HF power was observed among VE groups. There were significant interactive effects of VE and smoking on HF amplitude and of VE and frequent business trips on the LF/HF ratio. In the high-VE group, HF amplitude was especially low in heavy smokers. VE symptoms were related to suppression of the cardiac parasympathetic nervous function at rest in middle-aged male workers, but not to the alteration in sympathovagal balance. Smoking and overwork such as frequent business trips may amplify the autonomic dysfunction in relation to VE among workers with a pronounced feeling of VE. Cardiac autonomic dysfunction, especially low HF amplitude of heart rate variability, may play an important role in the decline from VE to coronary heart disease
