Correlation of obesity indices with heart rate recovery as a marker of autonomic function in healthy young adults

INTRODUCTION: Obesity has become a challenge for global public health. The global prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled in the past decades (World Health Organization). Obesity may lead to changes in the sympathetic regulation of cardiovascular function, thus favoring the development of cardiovascular complications. AIM: To find a correlation between various obesity indices (body mass index, waist-height ratio, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio) and heart rate recovery in healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 apparently healthy subjects aged 18–30 years were enrolled and were divided into two groups on the absence and presence of a family history of cardiovascular disease. The treadmill testing was done in the exercise lab of the physiology department of the medical institute. Exercise testing of the subjects was conducted according to the standard Bruce protocols. RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between various obesity indices and heart rate recovery but we did not get a statistically signification association between them. CONCLUSION: In our study, we have found no statistically significant association between various obesity indices and heart rate recovery. Thus measuring obesity indices in the younger age group will not lead to much significance in terms of heart rate recovery and may be avoided.