J Korean Med Sci.  2007 Aug;22(4):629-632. 10.3346/jkms.2007.22.4.629.

Cardiac Autonomic Function Evaluated by the Heart Rate Turbulence Method was not Changed in Obese Patients without Co-morbidities

• Avsar A
• Acarturk G
• Melek M
• Kilit C
• Celik A
• Onrat E

• KMID: 1127077
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2007.22.4.629

Abstract

Obese subjects are more prone to sudden deaths and arrhythmias than non-obese subjects. Heart rate turbulence (HRT) impairment reflects cardiac autonomic dysfunction, in particular impaired baroreflex sensitivity and reduced parasympathetic activity. Our aim was to evaluate the cardiac autonomic function in obesity by the HRT method. Ninety obese subjects and 112 healthy subjects were included in the study. Twenty-four hours ambulatory electrocardiograms were recorded and Holter recordings were analyzed. HRT parameters, turbulence onset (TO) and turbulence slope (TS), were calculated with HRT View Version 0.60-0.1 software program. HRT were calculated in 43 obese and 43 control subjects who had at least one ventricular premature beat in their Holter recordings. We excluded 47 obese patients and 69 control subjects who showed no ventricular premature beats in their Holter recordings from the statistical analysis. There were no significant differences in TO and TS between obese and control subjects (TO obese: -1.6+/-2.2%, TO control: -2.1+/-2.6%, p>0.05; TS obese: 8.2+/-5.2, TS control: 10.1+/-6.7, p>0.05, respectively). HRT parameters seem to be normal in obese patients without comorbidities.

Keyword

Obesity; Heart Rate; Autonomic Nervous System

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Autonomic Nervous System/*physiopathology
Blood Pressure/physiology
Body Mass Index
Cholesterol/blood
Cholesterol, LDL/blood
Electrocardiography, Ambulatory/*methods
Female
Heart/*innervation
Heart Rate/*physiology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity/blood/*physiopathology
Triglycerides/blood

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Turbulence Onset (TO, A) and Turbulence Slope (TS, B) values of the two study groups. CI, confidence interval.

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