Objective assessment of stress and chronic inflammation

On January 14, 2022, an important research was published that has allowed to objectively and instrumentally evaluate stress, chronic inflammation and their relationship with MUS (Medically Unexplained Symptoms): a whole series of persistent psychophysical disorders, including pain and discomfort.

This research was conducted by using BioTekna non-invasive and rapid technologies (PPG Stress Flow® and BIA-ACC®) on a sample of 9246 subjects with the aim of evaluating new objective markers for the measurement of stress and chronic inflammation.

Some markers of heart rate variability (HRV) measured by PPG Stress Flow device such as SDNN and RMSSD and the extracellular body water (ECW) measured by BIA-ACC device were used.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the physiological variation in the time interval between consecutive heartbeats controlled and regulated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) EAS extended.

Extracellular water (ECW) is the aqueous compartment that surrounds cells and it has been used as an index of inflammation.

MUS (Medically Unexplained Symptoms) refer to persistent bodily disorders and their presence can be used as a clinical index of chronic stress and inflammation, useful for distinguishing suffering patients from healthy subjects.

It has been demonstrated that SDNN, RMSSD and ECW markers are predictors of MUS and they have been successfully used to objectively and clinically evaluate chronic stress and inflammation.


Author: Dario Boschiero - Date: 27/01/2021


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References

  1. Stress and inflammatory biomarkers and symptoms are associated with bioimpedance measures. Tsigos C, Stefanaki C, Lambrou GI, Boschiero D, Chrousos GP. Eur J Clin Invest. 2015 Feb;45(2):126-34. doi: 10.1111/eci.12388. Epub 2015 Jan 12.
  2. George P Chrousos, Nektaria Papadopoulou-Marketou, Flora Bacopoulou, Mariantonietta Lucafò, Andrea Gallotta, Dario Boschiero Photoplethysmography (PPG)-determined heart rate variability (HRV) and extracellular water (ECW) in the evaluation of chronic stress and inflammation Hormones (Athens), 2022 Jan 14. doi: 10.1007/s42000-021-00341-y.
  3. Increased extracellular water measured by bioimpedance and by increased serum levels of atrial natriuretic peptide in RA patients-signs of volume overload. Straub RH, Ehrenstein B, Günther F, Rauch L, Trendafilova N, Boschiero D, Grifka J, Fleck M. Clin Rheumatol. 2017 May;36(5):1041-1051. doi: 10.1007/s10067-016-3286-x. Epub 2016 Apr 26.
  4. MUS ® - Medically Unexplained Symptoms Self-Evaluation n.2012001626, 2012 - BioTekna – Italy.