Cardiac autonomic function in patients suffering from primary focal hyperhidrosis

Cardiac autonomic function in patients (n = 63) with primary focal hyperhid rosis and healthy controls (n = 28) was investigated by short-term frequenc y domain power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. The power of th e very-low-frequency band (0.01-0.05 Hz) was significantly lower in patient s with axillary hyperhidrosis than in controls, No differences between grou ps could be observed at investigation of the low-frequency band (0.05-0.15 Hz), which was a surprising finding because this band represents also sympa thetic cardiac innervation. At the high-frequency band (0.15-0.5 Hz), which represents parasympathetic cardiac innervation, an interaction of type and position influencing spectral power was detected. Our highly interesting f indings indicate that primary focal hyperhidrosis is based on a much more c omplex autonomic dysfunction than generalised sympathetic overactivity and seems to involve the parasympathetic nervous system as well. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger; AG, Basel.