The relation between heart rate variability and the atherogenicity coefficient in northern men

Background: The autonomic nervous control of the cardiovascular system can be altered in individuals with dyslipidemia and lipid metabolism disorders. Aim: This study aimed to comparatively analyse short-term cardio interval recordings in a sample of Northern men and to simultaneously assess main values of the lipid pictures according to the atherogenicity coefficient. Materials and methods: One hundred and eighteen men aged 28–58 (mean age was 42.5±0.5 yrs) participated in the survey which was performed with photometric, immunochemiluminescent research methods, as well as standard methods for assessing heart rate variability and physical development. Results: The data obtained in our study showed that 53% of the surveyed men exhibited atherogenic disorders in lipid metabolism, while 47% of subjective lipid pictures showed perfect values. We found significant differences in 17 of 22 indicators of physical development, biochemical profile, and heart rate variability. That suggested the increasing relative activity of the parasympathetic link of autonomic nervous regulation observed in subjects with perfect values of lipid metabolism while those with high values of the atherogenicity coefficient demonstrated autonomic imbalance which could be seen in relatively high sympathetic activity along with the reduced influence of parasympathetic activity in the autonomic control of the circulatory system with simultaneous association with overweight and accelerated proportion of the total body fat. Conclusion: The impaired lipid profile proved to be closely related to the dominance of sympathetic activity that is assumed to be an unfavorable predictor of the risk for cardiovascular complications. In general, the results are intended to spread the use of the heart rate variability assessing method since it shows both autonomic and physiological aspects related, particularly, to the lipid profile and somatometric status, which undoubtedly emphasizes the potential of these indicators to obtain markers for the circulatory system proper functioning.