Key result
Higher BMI, waist circumference, and diastolic BP reduced HRV in firefighters, while physical activity increased it.
Why the study?
The relationship between cardiovascular disease risk factors and heart rate variability in firefighters required investigation.
Are cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with reductions in resting heart rate variability in full-time firefighters?
Cross-Sectional (n=309)
Yes
Are cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with reductions in resting heart rate variability in full-time firefighters?
In firefighters, cardiovascular risk factors including excess adiposity, elevated diastolic blood pressure, and unfavorable lipid profiles are significantly associated with impaired cardiac autonomic function as measured by reduced heart rate variability, whereas higher physical activity levels are associated with improved autonomic regulation.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support targeting adiposity and activity to preserve HRV in firefighters; leaves open causality and needs prospective confirmation.
Purpose This study investigated the relationship between cardiovascular disease risk factors and heart rate variability (HRV) in firefighters. Methods A total of 309 firefighters were systematically sampled. Cardiovascular health variables comprised cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as age, obesity, blood glucose and lipid profile, cigarette smoking, physical activity and blood pressure and heart rate variability (HRV). Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear regressions were generated to determine the relationship between the variables. Results Higher body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body fat percentage (BF%), and diastolic blood pressure (DPB) were associated with reductions in HRV, while metabolic equivalent minutes (METM) was associated with increased HRV. BF% (R 2 = 9.3%), visceral fat (R 2 = 8.8%), and aging (R 2 = 7.6%) were the strongest predictors of LF power, whereas low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (R 2 = 4.1%), total cholesterol (R 2 = 3.8%), and visceral fat (R 2 = 2.9%) explained the greatest proportion of variance in HF power. METM was positively associated with SD1 ( β = 0.001), SD2 ( β = 0.001), and the PNS index ( β = 8.384). Aging was independently associated with lower SD1 ( β =− 0.242), SD2 ( β =− 0.441), and PNS index ( β =− 0.016), and higher SNS index values ( β = 0.037). BMI ( β =− 0.380) and waist circumference ( β =− 0.210) were negatively associated with SD1, while waist circumference was positively associated with the SD ratio ( β = 0.021) and SNS index ( β = 0.026). Body fat percentage was positively associated with the SNS index ( β = 0.029). Diastolic blood pressure was positively associated with the SD ratio ( β = 0.010) and negatively associated with the PNS index ( β =− 0.014). Conclusion Cardiovascular risk factors, particularly excess adiposity, elevated blood pressure, and unfavorable lipid profiles, are associated with impaired autonomic function, whereas higher levels of physical activity were associated with more favorable cardiac autonomic regulation in firefighters.
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Jaron Ras (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular disease risk factors and autonomic function in firefighters (n=309). Cardiovascular disease risk factors (age, adiposity, blood pressure, lipids, blood glucose, smoking, and physical activity) was evaluated on Resting heart rate variability (HRV, beat-to-beat in ms) and related time/frequency domain indices (SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, SD1, SD2, PNS/SNS index) (DBP: β = -0.178; WC: β = -0.166; BMI: β = -0.162; BF%: β = -0.126; MET minutes: β = 0.156 (adjusted Model 4 for HRV), p=0.003). Higher BMI, waist circumference, and diastolic BP reduced HRV in firefighters, while physical activity increased it.
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