Heart rate variability is a physiological feature indicating the influence of the autonomic nervous system on the heart rate. Association of the reduced heart rate variability due to myocardial infarction and the increased postinfarction mortality was first described more than thirty years ago. Many studies have unequivocally demonstrated that coronary artery bypass grafting surgery generally leads to significant reduction in heart rate variability, which is even more pronounced than after myocardial infarction. Pathophysiologically, however, the mechanisms of heart rate variability reduction associated with acute myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafting are different. Generally, heart rate variability gradually recovers to the preoperative values within six months of the procedure. Unlike the reduced heart rate variability in patients having sustained myocardial infarction, a finding of reduced heart rate variability after coronary artery bypass surgery is not considered relevant in predicting mortality. Current knowledge about changes in heart rate variability in coronary patients and clinical relevance of such a finding in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting are presented.

Department of Cardiology Krapinske Toplice Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation School of Medicine Osijek Gajeva 2 49217 Krapinske Toplice Croatia

Department of Cardiology Sveti Duh University Hospital Zagreb Croatia

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases International Clinical Research Center St Ann's Faculty Hospital and Masaryk University Pekarska 53 656 91 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Neurology Zagreb University Hospital Center School of Medicine Zagreb Croatia

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