RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Heart rate variability is a measure of modulation in autonomic input to the heart and is one of the markers of autonomic functions. Though there are many studies on the long term influence of breathing on HRV (heart rate variability) there are only a few studies on the immediate effect of breathing especially alternate nostril breathing on HRV. This study focuses on the immediate effects of alternate nostril breathing and the influence of different breathing rates on HRV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was done on 25 subjects in the age group of 17-35 years. ECG and respiration were recorded before intervention and immediately after the subjects were asked to perform alternate nostril breathing for five minutes. RESULTS: Low frequency (LF) which is a marker of sympathetic activity increased, high frequency (HF) which is a marker of parasympathetic activity decreased and their ratio LF/HF which is a marker of sympatho/vagal balance increased immediately after 6 and 12 minutes in comparison to baseline values whereas there was no significant difference in the means of these components when both 6 and 12 minutes were compared. CONCLUSION: Immediate effects of alternate nostril breathing on HRV in non practitioners of yogic breathing are very different from the long term influence of yogic breathing on HRV which show a predominant parasympathetic influence on the heart.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Ovarian Reserve (OR) is a term which describes the functional potential of the ovary, which constitutes the size of the ovarian follicle pool and reflects the number and quality of the oocytes which are within it. Assessment of the OR helps in reflecting the reproductive potential of women. Various markers are available for assessing the OR and the best marker is the Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) which reflects the ovarian follicular pool in the ovary. In this study, the serum level of AMH/MIS(Mullerian Inhibiting Substance)was estimated to assess the ovarian reserve in both fertile and infertile women. OBJECTIVE: To assess the ovarian reserve in women of the fertile and subfertile groups with regular cycles, who were in the age range of 26 -33yrs, by estimating the level of AMH and those of other hormones like FSH and E2 and also to calculate the ovarian volume and the Antral follicular count by an ultrasonographic method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty fertile and thirty sub fertile women whose ages ranged from 26-33yrs were included as group 1 and group 2 respectively. The hormones like AMH ,FSH and oestradiol were assayed. Measurement of the ovarian volume and the antral follicular count by doing a transvaginal ultrasonogram, was done in all the subjects who were involved in both the groups. The correlation test was studied between the variables and the test of significance of the variables between the 2 groups was also analyzed by the Statistical Package Of Social Sciences (SPSS). RESULTS: The Antral Follicular Count (AFC) and the ovarian volume were negatively correlated with the age. The ovarian volume was positively correlated with the AFC. The FSH negatively correlated with the AFC. The Anti Mullerian Hormone negatively correlated with the age, and it positively correlated with the AFC. The mean values of AFC, FSH, and AMH were also statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: AMH can be considered as a marker for assessing the ovarian reserve, as it is cycle independent as compared to the other hormones. The women in the subfertile group with low levels of AMH should be insisted to proceed for ART as early as possible.
