Key result
High waist-hip ratio was significantly associated with reduced heart rate variability, including lower SDNN (42.41 vs 62.4), independent of physical activity levels in young adults.
Why the study?
Reports on the effects of obesity and physical activity on heart rate variability, as well as the use of various obesity indices, have been conflicting.
Do central obesity markers affect heart rate variability independent of physical activity in young adults?
Cross-Sectional (n=91)
No
Do central obesity markers affect heart rate variability independent of physical activity in young adults?
Central obesity parameters are better predictors of the effect of obesity on heart rate variability than BMI, independent of physical activity levels.
Rising WC linked to unfavorable HRV shifts; hypothesis-generating for autonomic imbalance in young obese adults and requires prospective confirmation.
Introduction: Obesity is considered to be a risk factor for a variety of cardiovascular conditions. Various markers for obesity are used to evaluate effect of obesity on cardiovascular autonomic activity. In light of conflicting reports on effect of obesity on heart rate variability (HRV), use of obesity indices, and the effect of physical activity on HRV, we evaluated autonomic activity in young Indian obese adults using revised Indian and World Health Organization (WHO) body mass index (BMI) guidelines for obesity, waist circumference (WC), and waist-hip ratio (WHR) taking into consideration the level of physical activity. Methods: The study was conducted on 91 young healthy adults. Height, weight, waist, and hip circumference were recorded to determine BMI and WHR. Five-minute electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded for assessment of HRV. Physical activity was assessed by the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Results: Waist circumference showed a negative correlation with the time domain parameters of HRV and high frequency normalized units (HFnu) while a positive correlation with low frequency normalized units (LFnu). In multiple linear regression analysis, time domain indices, HFnu and total power decreased while LFnu increased with an increase in WC. The result was supported by the similar effect of waist-hip ratio categories on HRV in analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Physical activity had no effect on HRV. Conclusion: Central obesity parameters are better predictors of effect of obesity on HRV independent of the effect of physical activity.
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Banerjee et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (evaluating obesity and autonomic function) (n=91). High waist-hip ratio (central obesity) vs. Normal waist-hip ratio was evaluated on Standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) (p=0.004). High waist-hip ratio was significantly associated with reduced heart rate variability, including lower SDNN (42.41 vs 62.4), independent of physical activity levels in young adults.
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