Tone-entropy analysis as a cardiac risk stratification tool

Improving risk assessment to provide evidence for preventative intervention has recently become more of a focus in cardiovascular medicine with atherosclerosis as an early manifestation of cardiovascular disease. The total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (TC/HDL) ratio is often used an atherogenic index. High levels of the TC/HDL ratio also affect nervous system function and this study investigated the relationship between TC/HDL and heart rate variability measured by the tone-entropy algorithm. For tone there was a significant indication that cholesterol levels? influences autonomic nervous system function in control individuals with no cardiovascular disease, but not in diabetics. Entropy was not associated with TC/HDL in eitherthe control ordiabetes group. The relationship seen for tone and TC/HDL suggests that tone can be used as an initial risk indicator for further invasive cardiac function testing.