title: Heart rate variability is reduced in underweight and overweight healthy adult women.
abstract: Heart rate variability (HRV) is altered in obese subjects, but whether this is true also in underweight (UW) subjects is still under debate. We investigated the HRV profile in a sample of healthy adult women and its association with adiposity. Five-minute resting state electrocardiographic activity was recorded in 69 subjects grouped according to their body mass index, [23 normal weight (NW), 23 overweight/obese (OW) and 23 UW). Body fat mass (FM) was measured by bio-impedance. Frequency- and time-domain analyses were performed. Compared to NW, UW and OW subjects showed a significant decrease in HRV indices, as revealed by spectral analysis. No differences were observed between UW and OW subjects. A second-order polynomial regression unveiled an inverted U-shaped relationship between FM extent and HRV indices. A decrease of HRV indices was associated with changes in FM extent, proving that in UW and OW subjects, the adaptive flexibility of autonomic cardiac function was reduced. These findings provide important clues to guide future studies addressed to determine how changes in adiposity and autonomic cardiac function may contribute to health risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Ivano
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Triggiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valenzano
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela Anna Pia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ciliberti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.|Department of Motor, Human and Health Science, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fiorenzo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moscatelli
authors.affiliation: Unit of Sport Medicine, A.S.L. Foggia, San Severo, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of dietetic and sports medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcellino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monda
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of dietetic and sports medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Federici
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.|IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Babiloni
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cibelli
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013851:Thinness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: autonomic nervous system; bioimpedance analysis; body mass index; heart rate variability; underweight