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The impact of overweight-obesity on heart rate variability among Indian adults - A cross-sectional study
Shobitha Muthukrishnan1, Shilpi Vashishta2, Shilpi Bhat3
1Professor and Head, Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Insights
Overweight and obese young Indian adults show reduced heart rate variability and autonomic dysfunction. Early weight management is crucial to prevent cardiovascular disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Metabolic Health
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
Background:
- Overweight and obesity are leading causes of mortality, particularly from cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Cardiac autonomic dysfunction is a potential mechanism linking obesity to higher CVD risk.
- Limited research exists on overweight/obesity assessments in young Indian adults using Asian-specific BMI standards.
Purpose of the Study:
- Classify BMI in Indian adults using Asian standards (normal, overweight, obese).
- Compare heart rate variability (HRV) between normal weight, overweight, and obese healthy young adults.
- Investigate autonomic nervous system function in relation to BMI in this population.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 157 participants aged 18-40 years.
- Classified subjects into normal weight (BMI 18-22.9 kg/m²), overweight (BMI 23-25 kg/m²), and obese (BMI > 25 kg/m²) groups based on Asian BMI standards.
- Assessed short-term heart rate variability (HRV) using standard procedures and analyzed data with ANOVA.
Main Results:
- Overweight and obese groups had significantly lower time-domain (SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50%) and frequency-domain (HF) HRV measures compared to normal weight individuals.
- The overweight and obese groups exhibited higher LF (nu) and LF/HF ratio, indicating increased sympathetic activity.
- No significant differences in HRV parameters were found between the overweight and obese groups themselves.
Conclusions:
- Young Indian adults who are overweight or obese demonstrate impaired autonomic nervous system function, characterized by reduced parasympathetic activity and diminished HRV.
- Increasing Body Mass Index (BMI) correlates with reduced cardiac parasympathetic and increased sympathetic activity.
- Early identification and intervention for overweight individuals are essential to mitigate progression to obesity and associated cardiovascular risks.
Background:
Overweight-obesity is one of the leading disorders that elevate all-cause mortality in patients with an increased body mass index (BMI), contributing to deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD). One plausible explanation for the higher CVD in obese individuals is cardiac autonomic dysfunction. Previous studies done on overweight-obesity are majorly based on internationally accepted diagnostic cutoffs for BMI and waist circumference. Assessments in overweight and obese young Indian Adults as per the standards published in the Indian ministry's Consensus Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome are very limited.
Objective:
To assess and classify the BMI of Indian subjects according to the Asian standard of BMI classification as normal weight, overweight, or obese and to compare heart rate variability (HRV) between overweight, obese, and normal weight healthy adults.
Methods:
The research involved a total of 157 participants aged 18 to 40 years. According to the Asian standard of BMI classification, 50 subjects with BMI > 25 kg/m² were classified as obese and 53 subjects with BMI between 23 and 25 kg/m² were categorized as overweight. Fifty-four subjects with BMI in the range of 18-22.9 kg/m² were healthy adult controls. Standard procedures were employed to assess short-term HRV characteristics. The ANOVA test was used to compare data across the groups.
Results:
The results reflect that time domain measures like SDNN, RMSSD, and pNN50% and frequency domain measures like HF (msec2) and HF (nu) were significantly less in the overweight and obese groups compared to the normal weight group, while the LF (nu) and LF/HF ratio were higher in the overweight-obese group. A nonsignificant difference was observed in HRV parameters between overweight and obese group adults.
Conclusion:
The study found that both overweight and obese young individuals exhibited altered characteristics of the autonomic nervous system, resulting in reduced parasympathetic activity and diminished heart rate variability. Increasing BMI was strongly associated with reduced cardiac parasympathetic and increased sympathetic activity in both overweight and obese individuals. Therefore, timely identification and early intervention in the initial overweight stage through weight loss is a dire necessity to prevent the progression to obesity and its cardiovascular complications.
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