Regulation of heart rate

Regulation of heart rate

• Heart rate is the major determinant of cardiac output.
• If Heart rate rises cardiac output increases
• When the heart rate falls cardiac output falls.
• Heart rate = Pulse rate
• With Each beat blood is pumped out of the heart
Affected factors on heart rate
1.Gender- Heart rate is passed than women than
men
2 Autonomic activity- heartbeat is a balance
between sympathetic and parasympathetic
activity
3 Age- In babies and small children the heart
rate is more rapid than in older children and
adults.
2 Circulating hormones-
Adrenaline and No adrenalin secreted by the adrenal medulla
increase the heart rate
Thyroxine increases the HT rate
Hypoxia and elevating the CO2 stimulate the heart rate
Electrolytes imbalance – Hyperkalemia leads to Bradycardia means a
slow heart rate
Antagonists such as Atenolol used in Hypertension can also cause
tachycardia
5.Activity and exercise- Active muscles increase the heart rate
6. Temperature- Heart rate rises and falls with body temperature

7. The baroreceptor reflex-

2 Emotional status- during anxiety Heart rate is increased
• Baroreceptors are a type of mechanoreceptors that allows for relaying
information derived from blood pressure within the autonomic
nervous system. Information is then passed in rapid sequence to alter
the total peripheral resistance and cardiac output, maintaining blood
pressure within a preset, normalized range. There are two types of
baroreceptors: high-pressure arterial baroreceptors and low-pressure
volume receptors, which are both stimulated by stretching of the
vessel wall. Arterial baroreceptors are located within the carotid
sinuses and the aortic arch. Low-pressure volume receptors, or
cardiopulmonary receptors, are located within the atria, ventricles,
and pulmonary vasculature.
Regulation of heart rate
• Contraction of the heart is regulated by special cardiac cells.
• The sinoatrial node (S.A node) and Atrio Ventricular node (A.V node)
are composed of special cardiac cells.
• Those S.A Node and A.V Node regions known as
“Pacemaker” regions of the heart
• S.A Node region is responsible for determining the heart rate.
• When the S.A node region is damaged The region of the A.V node can
take over.
• The A.V node has a slower spontaneous rate of depolarization than
the S.A node
• Heart rate= Pulse rate
• With each beat blood is pumped out of the heart
➢ pacemaker cells spontaneously depolarize without stimulus
➢Depolarization generates electrical currents which
neighboring cells lasting them to contract
( Depolarizing the heart involves the sequential, orderly flow
of electrical current through the heart muscle, converting
each cell )