A Comparative Study of Pre Prandial and Post Prandial Heart Rate Variability between Obese and Non-Obese Young Women Aged 18-25 Years.

Background: In obesity, as excessive adipose tissue accumulates, an altered metabolic profile occurs along with a variety of adaptations/alterations in the cardiac structure and function even in the absence of co-morbidities. Objective: To compare pre prandial and post prandial heart rate variability between young healthy non obese and obese females aged 18-25 years. Methods: 50 obese and 50 non obese young healthy females aged 18-25 years were selected based on body mass index (BMI). Heart rate variability was recorded in both pre prandial and post prandial state using ECG V: 52 (HRV) power spectral analysis to identify separate frequency components, i.e., total power (TP), low-frequency power (LF), high frequency power (HF) and low frequency to high frequency ratio. Results: All the statistical methods were carried out using the SPSS software for Windows (version 16.0) and Minitab (version 11.0). The Paired-Samples T Test procedure was done to compare the means of two variables for a single group. The Independent-Samples T Test procedure was done to compare the means for two groups of cases. P value less than or equal to 0.001 was considered statistically significant. HRV analysis found significantly lower (p≤0.001) values of TP, LF(ms2), HF(ms2) and HF (n.u.) and significantly higher values (p≤0.001) of LF (n.u.) and LF/HF ratio among the obese group in both pre prandial and post prandial state respectively compared to non obese group. Conclusion : Our data indicate that obese subjects have decreased parasympathetic activity as evidenced by decrease in TP, LF(ms2), HF(ms2) and HF (n.u.) and increase in sympathetic activity as evidenced by increase in LF (n.u.) and LF/HF in both pre prandial and post prandial state.