Changes in scale-invariance property of electrocardiogram as a predictor of hypertension

Abstract

In this study, electrocardiogram signal has been investigated to assess the presence of scale-invariance changes to classify normotensive and hypertensive subject. ECG signal of 20 normotensive and 20 hypertensive subjects is recorded using MP100 system with a sampling rate (fs) of 500 Hz. The scale-invariance changes of ECG signal are analysed using multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis. The width and shape of the multifractal spectrum obtained is used to detect the hypertensive subject. The multifractal spectrum of the normotensive subject exhibit a pure Gaussian behaviour, but for hypertension subject is left truncated. The width of the multifractal spectrum for hypertension subject (1.7158 ± 0.09649) is more as compared to the normotensive subject (1.534 ± 0.23931). Therefore this method can reflect complexity changes of ECG signal during hypertension. Also, the changes in the multifractal behaviour of ECG signal improves the diagnostic tools for calculating hypertension and as a promising diagnostic tool in cardiovascular disease diagnosis and evaluation.