What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate cardiovascular autonomic function across varying durations of adolescent obesity using standard time-domain, spectral heart rate variability, and nonlinear techniques.

April 1, 2003Obesity ResearchOpen Access

Assessment of Cardiac Autonomic Modulation during Adolescent Obesity

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Why the study?

Does the duration of adolescent obesity affect cardiovascular autonomic function compared to lean controls?

Population

62 children, comprising 50 obese children stratified by obesity duration and 12 lean subjects.

Design

Cross-sectional

Authors

FRFranco RabbiaGeneral Cardiology BSBernard SilkeSt. James's Hospital ACAndrea ConternoSt. James's Hospital

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Should not yet change practice in adolescent obesity; leaves open prognostic value of duration-dependent autonomic shifts.

Key Points

To evaluate cardiovascular autonomic function across varying durations of adolescent obesity using standard time-domain, spectral heart rate variability, and nonlinear techniques.
Assessed 50 obese adolescents (mean age 13.9 ± 1.7 years) stratified by obesity duration—recent (<4 years), intermediate (4–7 years), and long-term (>7 years)—alongside 12 lean controls (mean age 12.9 ± 1.6 years).
Conducted metabolic laboratory testing, casual blood pressure measurements, and 24-hour electrocardiographic/ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to analyze spectral, time-domain, and nonlinear (Poincaré plot and quadrant analysis) heart rate variability.
All obese subgroups demonstrated higher blood pressure, glucose, HOMA-IR, and triglycerides, with persistent reductions in all parasympathetic markers (high-frequency power, RMSSD, pNN50, and scatterplot width) versus lean controls.
Sympathetic markers (normalized low-frequency power, low-to-high frequency ratio, and cardiac acceleration) increased significantly in recent-onset obesity, whereas spectral low frequency appeared normal in later stages while nonlinear metrics showed a continuous downward trend.
Long-term heart rate variability measures showed significant reductions in the recent and intermediate obesity groups compared to lean controls.

Structured PICO

Does the duration of adolescent obesity affect cardiovascular autonomic function compared to lean controls?

Population

62 children, comprising 50 obese children (mean age 13.9 +/- 1.7 years) stratified by obesity duration (recent <4 years, intermediate 4 to 7 years, long-term >7 years) and 12 lean subjects (mean age 12.9 +/- 1.6 years).

Comparator

12 lean subjects (mean age 12.9 +/- 1.6 years)

Outcome

Cardiovascular autonomic function assessed by standard time domain, spectral heart rate variability (HRV), and nonlinear methods using 24-hour electrocardiogramsurrogate

Adolescent obesity is associated with persistent reductions in parasympathetic tone and early, transient increases in sympathetic activation, indicating that autonomic nervous system changes are related to obesity duration.

Cite This Study

Rabbia et al. (2003) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a101b2e8090e499da60a261 https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2003.76

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Assessment of Cardiac Autonomic Modulation during Adolescent Obesity

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Structured PICO

Cite This Study

Assessment of Cardiac Autonomic Modulation during Adolescent Obesity

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Structured PICO

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider