OBESITY AND AUTONOMIC FUNCTION IN ADOLESCENCE

• Published in: Clinical and experimental hypertension (1993) Vol. 23; no. 1-2; pp. 57 - 67
• Main Authors: Riva, P., Martini, G., Rabbia, F., Milan, A., Paglieri, C., Chiandussi, L., Veglio, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2001; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescence; Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Autonomic Nervous System - physiopathology; Case-Control Studies; Child; Coronary Disease - etiology; Coronary Disease - physiopathology; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - etiology; Hypertension - physiopathology; Insulin - physiology; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - physiopathology; Risk Factors; Sympathetic nervous system
• ISSN: 1064-1963; 1525-6006
• DOI: 10.1081/CEH-100001197

Hypertension and obesity are risk factors for coronary heart diseases in adults. In turn, childhood overweight and high blood pressure increase the risk of subsequent obesity and hypertension in adulthood. Human obesity is characterized by profound alterations of hemodynamic and metabolic states. Whether these alterations involve sympathetic nervous system control on cardiac function is controversial. We report the results of our study, conducted in a sample of obese adolescents by using power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. An increase in sympathetic tone coupled with a reduction in vagal tone was found. This allowed us to hypothesize that autonomic nervous system changes depend on the time course of obesity development. It is still unclear if treatment of obesity in adolescence prevents subsequent autonomic imbalance and hypertension.