title: Heart rate recovery improves after weight loss in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of weight loss on heart rate recovery (HRR) in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A 10-week prospective clinical intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical research unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven overweight and obese women with PCOS (age: 29.8 +/- 0.8 years; body mass index [BMI] 36.2 +/- 0.7 kg/m(2)).
  
  
  METHODS
  A dietary plan of 5-6 MJ/day ( approximately 30% energy restricted).
  
  
  METHODS
  Heart rate recovery (defined as the reduction in heart rate after 1 minute from peak heart rate after a graded treadmill test to exhaustion), weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and sex steroids before and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean percentage of weight loss was (-6.7 +/- 0.4%). There were significant reductions in waist circumference (-6.9 +/- 0.6 cm), blood pressure (-4.9/-2.5 +/- 1.2/1.2 mm Hg), fasting insulin (-3.4 +/- 0.7 mU/L), fasting glucose (-0.17 +/- 0.05 mmol/L), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (-0.43 +/- 0.09), T (-0.38 +/- 0.07 nmol/L), free androgen index (-2.86 +/- 0.58), and an increase in sex hormone-binding globulin [SHBG] (5.86 +/- 1.12 nmol/L). The HRR improved from 30.9 +/- 1.1 to 38.0 +/- 1.1 beats/min and that was related to the reduction in body weight (r = -0.34) and waist circumference (r = -0.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight loss in overweight and obese women with PCOS is associated with improvements in HRR, which suggests improved autonomic function. This highlights the importance of weight loss to reduce the cardiovascular disease risk in these women.
authors.affiliation: Australian Technology Network Centre for Metabolic Fitness & Nutritional Physiology Research Centre, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: Manny
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noakes
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Clifton
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Grant D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Brinkworth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*