BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular autonomic nervous system in obese children is one of the main initiators of coronary heart disease and hypertension and may have a close relationship with insulin resistance. Heart rate variability is one non-invasive method to assess the cardiovascular autonomic system. In this method, low frequency parameters reflect sympathovagal activity, high frequency parameters reflect vagal activity and the ratio of these parameters reflects sympathovagal balance. METHODS: In this study, a short-term analysis of heart rate variability was conducted in 66 obese children and 40 healthy controls. RESULTS: While high frequency parameter values are lower in the obese group compared to the controls (16.02 ± 12.9 nu vs. 21.45 ± 13.6 nu, p = 0.046), the low frequency/high frequency ratio is found significantly higher (3.79 ± 2.34 vs. 2.25 ± 0.93, p 〈 0.001). A significant difference was not detected for the low frequency values (p = 0.787). Insulin resistance was found in 33 (50%) patients, dyslipidemia was found in 39 (59%) and hypertension was found in 18 (27%). Metabolic syndrome was detected in 39% patients in the obese group. CONCLUSIONS: We found that vagal activity was decreased in the obese group and the autonomic nervous system balance was impaired in favor of sympathetic activity in the short-term heart rate analysis.
BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular autonomic nervous system in obesechildren is one of the main initiators of coronary heart disease and hypertension and may have a close relationship with insulin resistance. Heart rate variability is one non-invasive method to assess the cardiovascular autonomic system. In this method, low frequency parameters reflect sympathovagal activity, high frequency parameters reflect vagal activity and the ratio of these parameters reflects sympathovagal balance. METHODS: In this study, a short-term analysis of heart rate variability was conducted in 66 obesechildren and 40 healthy controls. RESULTS: While high frequency parameter values are lower in the obese group compared to the controls (16.02 ± 12.9 nu vs. 21.45 ± 13.6 nu, p = 0.046), the low frequency/high frequency ratio is found significantly higher (3.79 ± 2.34 vs. 2.25 ± 0.93, p 〈 0.001). A significant difference was not detected for the low frequency values (p = 0.787). Insulin resistance was found in 33 (50%) patients, dyslipidemia was found in 39 (59%) and hypertension was found in 18 (27%). Metabolic syndrome was detected in 39% patients in the obese group. CONCLUSIONS: We found that vagal activity was decreased in the obese group and the autonomic nervous system balance was impaired in favor of sympathetic activity in the short-term heart rate analysis.
Authors: Tanja G M Vrijkotte; Bert-Jan H van den Born; Christine M C A Hoekstra; Maaike G J Gademan; Manon van Eijsden; Susanne R de Rooij; Marcel T B Twickler Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-09-22 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: David Herzig; Prisca Eser; Thomas Radtke; Alina Wenger; Thomas Rusterholz; Matthias Wilhelm; Peter Achermann; Amar Arhab; Oskar G Jenni; Tanja H Kakebeeke; Claudia S Leeger-Aschmann; Nadine Messerli-Bürgy; Andrea H Meyer; Simone Munsch; Jardena J Puder; Einat A Schmutz; Kerstin Stülb; Annina E Zysset; Susi Kriemler Journal: Front Physiol Date: 2017-02-24 Impact factor: 4.566