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Published on: June 5, 2019
Association Between Obesity Indices and Heart Rate Variability: A Cross-Sectional Study in Asian Young College
Jun Wang1, Xuechun Ding1, Juan Wang1
1Department of Medicine, Anqing Medical College, Anqing, Anhui, China.
Cardiology Research and Practice
|June 15, 2026
Summary
Body fat percentage (BFP) is the key indicator of autonomic function in young Asian students, surpassing BMI and waist circumference. Elevated BFP significantly impairs heart rate variability (HRV), highlighting the need for body composition in risk screening.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Physiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Obesity indices are linked to autonomic dysfunction, but their relative importance in young adults is unclear.
- Heart Rate Variability (HRV) reflects autonomic nervous system balance, crucial for cardiovascular health.
- Assessing obesity's impact on HRV in diverse young populations is vital for early risk identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate associations between obesity indices and HRV in Asian college students.
- To determine the relative importance of various obesity measures in predicting HRV.
- To explore potential sex differences in these associations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 3180 Asian college students (mean age 19.6 years).
- Measured eight obesity indices (BMI, WC, WHtR, BFP) and HRV from ECG.
- Used sex-stratified linear models and multimodel approaches, adjusting for confounders.
Main Results:
- Body Fat Percentage (BFP) showed the strongest negative association with SDNN and positive associations with LF/HF and LFnorm.
- BFP was the primary predictor of LF/HF (38.1%), outperforming WC (17.5%) and BMI (13.9%).
- Elevated BFP in overweight/obese students correlated with significantly impaired HRV; a BFP cutoff of 27.3% identified low HRV risk.
Conclusions:
- Body Fat Percentage (BFP) is a superior indicator of autonomic function compared to traditional indices like BMI and WC in young Asian adults.
- Integrating body composition assessment into cardiovascular risk screening for youth is recommended.
- While BFP is primary, traditional indices offer incremental predictive value for HRV.
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