Resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderates the association between early-life adversity and body adiposity

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cross-Sectional. Population: Central body adiposity and early-life adversity (n=149). Intervention: Early-life adversity moderated by resting high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) vs. Lower early-life adversity and higher resting HF-HRV. Primary outcome: Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) moderated by the interaction between early-life adversity and resting HF-HRV (B -0.50, 95% CI -0.86 to -0.15, p=0.006).

David S. Curtis; Thomas E. Fuller‐Rowell; J. Benjamin Hinnant; Alexander K. Kaeppler; Stacey N. Doan

doi:10.1177/1359105317739964

December 18, 2017Journal of Health PsychologyOpen Access

Resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderates the association between early-life adversity and body adiposity

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Key result

Higher resting heart rate variability buffers against early-life adversity's association with increased adiposity.

B -0.50
95% CI -0.86 to -0.15
P=0.006
n=149

Why the study?

Does resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderate the association between early-life adversity and body adiposity in young adults?

Key Points

To examine whether resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderates the relationship between exposure to early-life adversity and measures of body adiposity.
Cross-sectional assessment of 149 young adults (mean age = 18.8 years; 45% Black, 55% White; 56% female) recruited from a university in the Midwestern United States.
Evaluated self-reported early-life adversity, resting high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and body mass index (BMI), adjusting for sociodemographic factors, mental health symptoms, and health behaviors.
Each additional early-life adversity was associated with a 0.33 percentage point increase in WHtR (p = .023, 95% CI: .03, .63) after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and resting HF-HRV.
The interaction between early adversity and resting HF-HRV significantly predicted WHtR (B = −.50, p = .006, 95% CI: −.86, −.15), explaining an additional 5.2% of the variance, with stronger adversity-adiposity links observed among individuals with lower HF-HRV.
Sensitivity analyses confirmed identical moderation patterns when using BMI as the outcome and showed no moderation by race, sex, or chronic conditions.

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=149)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderate the association between early-life adversity and body adiposity in young adults?

P

Population

149 young adult college freshmen (mean age 18.8 years, 56% female, 45% Black, 55% White) at a Midwestern US university evaluated cross-sectionally for early-life adversity, resting HF-HRV, and body adiposity.

E

Exposure

Self-reported early-life adversity and resting high-frequency heart rate variability

O

Outcome

Body adiposity (waist-to-height ratio and body mass index)surrogate

Main Result

Effect estimate: B -0.50 (95% CI -0.86 to -0.15)

p-value: p=0.006

Resting high-frequency heart rate variability may serve as a biomarker of stress vulnerability, moderating the impact of early-life adversity on adiposity.

Limitations

Cross-sectional design assumes stability of resting vagal control across childhood and adolescence
Retrospective self-reports of early-life adversity may be subject to recall bias
Relatively small sample size (N=149) may have limited statistical power to detect direct correlations between resting HF-HRV and adiposity markers

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Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.

Implication

HRV moderation of adversity-adiposity links is hypothesis-generating; leaves open prospective validation before any clinical biomarker role.

Abstract

This study investigates resting high-frequency heart rate variability as a moderator of the association between early-life adversity and two measures of body adiposity. Data were collected from 149 young adults attending a large university in the Midwestern United States ( M age = 18.8 years; 45% black; 55% white; 56% female). Self-reported early-life adversity was associated with greater waist-to-height ratio and body mass index. The strength of these associations was moderated by high-frequency heart rate variability, such that the link was stronger for individuals with lower heart rate variability. Resting high-frequency heart rate variability thus has potential health significance as a biomarker of stress vulnerability.

Discussion

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Cite This Study

Curtis et al. (2017) conducted a cross-sectional in Central body adiposity and early-life adversity (n=149). Early-life adversity moderated by resting high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) vs. Lower early-life adversity and higher resting HF-HRV was evaluated on Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) moderated by the interaction between early-life adversity and resting HF-HRV (B -0.50, 95% CI -0.86 to -0.15, p=0.006). Resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderated the link between early-life adversity and waist-to-height ratio (B = -0.50, p = 0.006), with stronger associations at lower HRV.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a75ce0bdcfefe9676dd9873 https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317739964

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Resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderates the association between early-life adversity and body adiposity

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderates the association between early-life adversity and body adiposity

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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