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January 22, 2026Annals of Neurosciences0 citationsOpen Access

Heart Rate Variability and Cognitive Performance in Metabolically Healthy Obese Adults

Association of Heart Rate Variability and NeuroCognitive Performance Among Metabolically Healthy Obese Adults: Cardio-psychological Based Approach

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Why the study?

Is metabolically healthy obesity associated with changes in heart rate variability and neurocognitive performance compared to healthy controls?

Population

101 adults, comprising 71 metabolically healthy obese or overweight individuals and 30 controls.

Comparison

Metabolically healthy obesity/overweight vs Control group (n=30)

Design

Cross-sectional

Key result

In metabolically healthy obese individuals, increased BMI was significantly associated with reduced vagal tone as indicated by decreased high-frequency HRV (p < .05).

Authors

SBSaksham BansalSCSakshi ChaarasVGVanshita Garg

Discussion

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Overview

No immediate clinical implications for metabolically healthy obesity; leaves open whether BMI drives early autonomic decline.

Key Points

  • This study aims to quantify neurocognitive signatures and heart rate variability parameters related to obesity in metabolically healthy individuals.
  • Cross-sectional study design involving 101 participants, including 71 metabolically healthy obese individuals and 30 controls.
  • Participants underwent neurological and psychological assessments including MMSE and MoCA.
  • Measurements included serum BDNF levels and HRV analysis for cardio-autonomic tone.
  • Significant decreases in neurocognitive performance and HRV indices were observed in the metabolically healthy obese group compared to controls.
  • Higher BMI was negatively correlated with BDNF levels and high-frequency HRV indices, indicating decreased vagal tone.
  • The study confirmed a strong association between BDNF levels and HRV metrics like SDNN.

Structured PICO

Is metabolically healthy obesity associated with changes in heart rate variability and neurocognitive performance compared to healthy controls?

P
Population
101 adults (age 36-55 years, both genders), comprising 71 metabolically healthy obese or overweight individuals (BMI 23.0-30.0 kg/m2) and 30 controls.
I
Intervention
Metabolically healthy obesity/overweight (exposure)
C
Comparator
Control group (n=30)
O
Outcome
Neurocognitive performance (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE], Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]), serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and cardio-autonomic tone by heart rate variability (HRV) analysissurrogate

Metabolically healthy obesity is associated with reduced vagal tone and lower BDNF levels, suggesting early autonomic and cognitive changes.

Cite This Study

Bansal et al. (2026) studied this question. In metabolically healthy obese individuals, increased BMI was significantly associated with reduced vagal tone as indicated by decreased high-frequency HRV (p < .05).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6971be6b642b1836717e3068https://doi.org/10.1177/09727531251409528
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