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Different nutritional states and autonomic imbalance in childhood

S Dippacher1, C Willaschek1, R Buchhorn1

  • 1Caritas-Krankenhaus Bad Mergentheim, Department of Pediatrics, Uhlandstraße 7, Bad Mergentheim, Germany.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|September 25, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Caloric intake, not body mass index, influences heart rate variability (HRV) in children. Anorexia nervosa and obesity show distinct autonomic imbalance patterns, impacting cardiovascular risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric cardiology
  • Autonomic nervous system function
  • Cardiovascular health

Background:

  • Autonomic imbalance and increased cardiovascular risk are noted in overweight children and anorexia nervosa patients.
  • Heart rate variability (HRV) is a key indicator of autonomic function.
  • Understanding factors influencing HRV is crucial for pediatric cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of body mass index (BMI) versus caloric intake on HRV.
  • To compare HRV patterns in healthy children, anorexia nervosa patients, thin children, and overweight children.
  • To elucidate the relationship between autonomic imbalance and nutritional status in children.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study design.
  • Comparison of HRV parameters across four groups: healthy controls (n=52), anorexia nervosa (n=17), thin (n=18), and overweight children (n=19).
  • Analysis of heart rate and SDNN (standard deviation of all RR-intervals).

Main Results:

  • Anorexia nervosa patients exhibited significantly lower nocturnal heart rates and higher SDNN.
  • Overweight children displayed an opposing pattern in heart rate and SDNN.
  • Nocturnal heart rate and SDNN showed a strong positive correlation (r=0.89, R(2)=0.79, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Caloric intake, rather than current BMI, is the primary determinant of HRV.
  • Obesity and anorexia nervosa are associated with distinct patterns of autonomic imbalance.
  • These findings highlight specific autonomic dysregulation in pediatric nutritional disorders impacting cardiovascular risk.

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