title: Differential association of adiposity measures with heart rate variability measures in Koreans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although obesity has been associated with imbalances in cardiac autonomic nervous system, it is unclear whether there are differential relationships between adiposity measures and heart rate variability (HRV) measures. We aimed to examine differences in the relationship between adiposity measures and HRV indices in a healthy Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 1409 non-smokers (811 males, 598 females) without known histories of cardiovascular (CV), endocrine, or neurological diseases underwent adiposity measurements [(body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat mass (PBF), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)], the HRV assessment (SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, LF/HF, and pNN50), and examination for CV risk factors (fasting glucose, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, hs-CRP, and blood pressure).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with BMI and PBF, WHR was more strongly correlated with each HRV index and more likely to predict decreased HRV (<15 percentile vs. ≥ 15 percentile of each HRV index) in ROC curves analysis. In linear regression analysis, all adiposity measures were inversely associated with each HRV measure before adjusting for age, gender, and CV risk factors (p<0.05). After adjusting for the covariates, WHR was inversely related to RMSSD, LF, and pNN50; PBF with RMSSD, HF, and pNN50; BMI with RMSSD (p<0.05). The inversed association between HRV indices and the gender-specific WHR tertile was significant for subjects with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2), but not for those with BMI <25 kg/m(2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WHR and PBF appear to be better indicators for low HRV than BMI, and the association between abdominal adiposity and HRV may be stronger in overweight subjects.
authors.affiliation: School of Computer Aided Science & Institute of Basic Science, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Kayoung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong-Gu
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jun Su
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee-Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D012372:ROC Curve; D012044:Regression Analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors