PRIST
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pregnancy Related Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia syndrome study
IRAS ID
210232
Contact name
Mark Belham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Palpitations are a subjective awareness of the heart beat/rhythm and are commonly experienced in pregnancy. These are not usually related to any significant abnormality however, occasionally they will be the result of an abnormal heart rhythm. One challenging abnormal heart rhythm is the syndrome of inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) which is defined as a sinus heart rate > 100 beats per minute at rest (mean 24 hour heart rate > 90 beats per minute) and is associated with palpitations. The definition of IST was derived from a middle aged population (male and female) and may not, therefore, be applicable to pregnant females. Currently, there is no published data confirming what the normal range for mean 24 hour heart rate is in pregnancy; and therefore it may be that the current universal definition of IST (mean 24 hour rate > 90bpm) is not applicable to pregnant women.
We will perform a study to assess the feasibility of recruiting pregnant and non-pregnant women with and without IST onto a larger study in the future. Furthermore, this study aims to determine the difference in the normal range for mean 24 hour heart rate between pregnant women with and without IST, and whether the range varies according to the stage of pregnancy.
We also plan to study the mechanism of IST. This will be done by comparing the autonomic function (part of the nervous system that affects how the organs work) of women who present with IST for the first time during pregnancy to the autonomic function of pregnant women without IST.
In addition to autonomic function tests the study will also assess left venticular stroke volume, cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistant.
For those healthy volunteers without IST there will also be an option for them to have an Echocardiogram.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0296
Date of REC Opinion
28 Sep 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion