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Electrocardiographic changes during total energy deprivation (fasting).
Acta Medica Scandinavica
|January 1, 1978
Summary
Fasting for 10 days significantly lowered heart rate and body weight in healthy males. Other hormonal and metabolic factors, not just adrenaline, appear more crucial for heart function during starvation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Total energy deprivation, or fasting, can significantly impact physiological parameters.
- Understanding cardiac responses during prolonged fasting is crucial for metabolic and clinical research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of 10 days of fasting on electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters in healthy males.
- To assess the relationship between fasting, metabolic changes, and cardiac function.
Main Methods:
- 14 healthy, normal-weight males underwent 10 days of total energy deprivation.
- Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded to evaluate cardiac electrical activity.
- Body weight, blood glucose, and urinary adrenaline levels were measured.
Main Results:
- Significant decreases were observed in heart rate, body weight, and blood glucose levels.
- The ratios between QRS and T wave amplitudes in ECG leads I and II also decreased significantly.
- Urinary adrenaline excretion increased during the fasting period.
- One subject exhibited a persistent T wave abnormality without clinical symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac adaptations during fasting involve complex hormonal, neural, and metabolic mechanisms beyond sympatho-adreno-medullary activity.
- Fasting-induced metabolic shifts significantly influence cardiac electrophysiology.
- Prolonged fasting may lead to specific ECG changes, warranting further investigation.