Determinants and reference values of short-term heart rate variability in children
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Published on: June 5, 2019
Nathalie Michels1, Els Clays, Marc De Buyzere
1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 2 Blok A, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. nathalie.michels@ugent.be
Insights
This study establishes age- and sex-specific heart rate variability (HRV) reference values for children. Physical fitness, not fatness, positively impacts HRV by increasing parasympathetic activity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric cardiology
- Exercise physiology
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Establishing normative data for heart rate variability (HRV) in children is crucial for accurate health assessments.
- Understanding the determinants of HRV in pediatric populations is essential for interpreting physiological responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide age- and sex-specific reference values for short-term heart rate variability (HRV) in children.
- To identify key determinants of HRV, including physical activity, fitness, and body composition, in children.
Main Methods:
- Collected 5-minute supine HRV measurements from 460 children aged 5-10 years using Polar chest belts.
- Analyzed HRV data using time and frequency domain methods after manual editing.
- Utilized multiple regression analysis, stratified by sex, to assess determinants like age, physical activity, fitness, and body composition.
Main Results:
- Generated sex- and age-specific HRV reference values, noting generally lower HRV in girls.
- Observed age-related increases in parasympathetic and decreases in sympathetic activity, with distinct patterns in boys.
- Found that fat-free mass, physical activity, and particularly physical fitness were favorably associated with increased parasympathetic activity, while fatness was not.
Conclusions:
- Age and sex are critical factors for interpreting HRV in children.
- Physical fitness, beyond just activity levels, significantly influences autonomic function (parasympathetic activity) in children.
- Future pediatric HRV research must incorporate age, sex, and physical fitness assessments for robust findings.
Abstract:
This paper provides age- and sex-specific reference values for short-term heart rate variability (HRV) data in children by time domain and frequency domain methods. Furthermore, HRV determinants will be determined. In 460 children (5-10 years), 5-minute HRV measurements in supine position were undertaken with Polar chest belts. The data were manually edited and processed with time and frequency domain methods. Age, time point, physical activity (accelerometry), physical fitness (cardiopulmonary fitness, upper and lower limb muscular fitness) and body composition (body mass index, fat%, fat and fat-free mass) were analysed as determinants using multiple regression analysis stratified by sex. Sex- and age-specific reference values were produced. Overall, girls had lower HRV. Age-related parasympathetic increases and sympathetic decreases were seen with sometimes age-related year-to-year wave-like changes in boys. The time point of recording had limited influence on HRV. Of the lifestyle related factors, fatness (only 7 % overweight) was not associated with HRV but fat-free mass, physical activity and in particular physical fitness (over and above activity) had a favourable association by increased parasympathetic activity. Future HRV studies in children should consider age, sex and physical fitness.
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