Alterations in autonomic nerve activity in subjects in a chronically undernourished state have been proposed, but have been inadequately documented. The present study evaluated heart rate and systolic blood pressure variability in the frequency domain in two underweight groups, one of which was undernourished and recruited from the lower socio-economic strata [underweight, undernourished (UW/UN); n = 15], while the other was from a high class of socio-economic background [underweight, well nourished (UW/WN); n = 17], as well as in normal-weight controls [normal weight, well nourished (NW/WN); n = 27]. Baroreflex sensitivity, which is a determinant of heart rate variability, was also assessed. The data indicate that total power (0–0.4Hz), low-frequency power (0.04–0.15Hz) and high-frequency power (0.15–0.4Hz) of RR interval variability were significantly lower in the UW/UN subjects (P<0.05) than in the NW/WN controls when expressed in absolute units, but not when the low- and high-frequency components were normalized for total power. Baroreflex sensitivity was similarly lower in the UW/UN group (P<0.05). Heart rate variability parameters in the UW/WN group were generally between those of the UW/UN and NW/WN groups, but were not statistically different from either. The mechanisms that contribute to the observed differences between undernourished and normal-weight groups, and the implications of these differences, remain to be elucidated.
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Research Article|
February 17 2003
Heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity are reduced in chronically undernourished, but otherwise healthy, human subjects
Mario VAZ;
1Division of Nutrition and Department of Physiology, St John's Medical College, Bangalore 560034, India
Correspondence: Mario Vaz (e-mail mariovaz@divnut.net).
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A.V. BHARATHI;
A.V. BHARATHI
1Division of Nutrition and Department of Physiology, St John's Medical College, Bangalore 560034, India
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S. SUCHARITA;
S. SUCHARITA
1Division of Nutrition and Department of Physiology, St John's Medical College, Bangalore 560034, India
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D. NAZARETH
D. NAZARETH
1Division of Nutrition and Department of Physiology, St John's Medical College, Bangalore 560034, India
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
October 21 2002
Accepted:
December 20 2002
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
The Biochemical Society and the Medical Research Society © 2003
2003
Clin Sci (Lond) (2003) 104 (3): 295–302.
Article history
Received:
October 21 2002
Accepted:
December 20 2002
Citation
Mario VAZ, A.V. BHARATHI, S. SUCHARITA, D. NAZARETH; Heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity are reduced in chronically undernourished, but otherwise healthy, human subjects. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 March 2003; 104 (3): 295–302. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/cs1040295
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