Body mass index is related to autonomic nervous system activity as measured by heart rate variability — A replication using short term measurements

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition, health & aging Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 300 - 302
• Main Authors: Koenig, Julian, Jarczok, M.N., Warth, M., Ellis, R.J., Bach, C., Hillecke, T.K., Thayer, J.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Elsevier Masson SAS 01.03.2014; Springer Paris; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; adults; Aging; Autonomic nervous system; Autonomic Nervous System - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; energy expenditure; Energy Metabolism; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Health care; Healthy Volunteers; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; HRV; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nervous system; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Preventive medicine; Primary Care Medicine; Quality of Life Research; Reproducibility of Results; Software; Time Factors; vagus nerve; Vagus Nerve - physiology; Variance analysis; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Young Adult; vagus nerve; Autonomic nervous system; HRV; body mass index; Short term; Heart rate; Body mass index; Variability; Activity; Metabolic diseases; Replication; Vagus nerve
• ISSN: 1279-7707; 1760-4788; 1760-4788
• DOI: 10.1007/s12603-014-0022-6

The present analysis is a replication of previous findings presenting first evidence of an association between body mass index (BMI) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity as measured by heart rate variability (HRV), in healthy non-obese adults. A total of fifty-nine apparently healthy male (M) and female (F) individuals (M/F = 15/44) were included in the trial. HRV data for analysis was derived from 5 minutes of baseline recordings, while the subject was sitting on a comfortable chair. Subjects' body measures (weight and height) were taken and BMI was obtained according to common calculation (kg/m2). BMI was inversely related to pNN50 and RMSSD components of HRV. Statistically significant differences between stratified groups (BMI<20, BMI 20–25, BMI >25) only occurred for analysis of pNN50 components. The pNN50 components and RMSSD are strongly associated with cardiac vagal influence, and thus represents parasympathetic activity. The present data supports previous findings, that sympatho-vagal balance is related to BMI in non-obese, healthy individuals, providing evidence for a prominent role of the vagus nerve in the modulation of the energy expenditure of the human organism. Furthermore, this relation can be observed in short term recordings of HRV of 5 minutes in length.