title: Body composition and body fat distribution are related to cardiac autonomic control in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Heart rate recovery (HRR), a cardiac autonomic control marker, was shown to be related to body composition (BC), yet this was not tested in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. The aim of this study was to determine if, and to what extent, markers of BC and body fat (BF) distribution are related to cardiac autonomic control in NAFLD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  BC was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 28 NAFLD patients (19 men, 51±13 years, and 9 women, 47±13 years). BF depots ratios were calculated to assess BF distribution. Subjects' HRR was recorded 1 (HRR1) and 2 min (HRR2) immediately after a maximum graded exercise test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BC and BF distribution were related to HRR; particularly weight, trunk BF and trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio showed a negative relation with HRR1 (r=-0.613, r=-0.597 and r=-0.547, respectively, P<0.01) and HRR2 (r=-0.484, r=-0.446, P<0.05, and r=-0.590, P<0.01, respectively). Age seems to be related to both HRR1 and HRR2 except when controlled for BF distribution. The preferred model in multiple regression should include trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio and BF to predict HRR1 (r2=0.549; P<0.05), and trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio alone to predict HRR2 (r2=0.430; P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BC and BF distribution were related to HRR in NAFLD patients. Trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio was the best independent predictor of HRR and therefore may be best related to cardiovascular increased risk, and possibly act as a mediator in age-related cardiac autonomic control variation.
authors.affiliation: 1] Exercise and Health Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal [2] Physical Activity and Health MS, Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Rio Maior, Portugal.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.affiliation: Exercise and Health Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Santa-Clara
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Nutrição e Metabolismo, Departamento de Gastrenterologia, IMM, FML, Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cortez-Pinto
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Curry Cabral Hospital, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silva-Nunes
authors.affiliation: Exercise and Health Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: da Lapa Rosado
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Santa Cruz Hospital, Carnaxide, Portugal.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Garcia de Orta Hospital, Almada, Portugal.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calé
authors.affiliation: Exercise and Health Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Exercise and Health Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Sardinha
authors.affiliation: Dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fernhall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005080:Exercise Test; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease