PURPOSE: Although obesity has been associated with imbalances in cardiac autonomic nervous system, it is unclear whether there are differential relationships between adiposity measures and heart rate variability (HRV) measures. We aimed to examine differences in the relationship between adiposity measures and HRV indices in a healthy Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all, 1409 non-smokers (811 males, 598 females) without known histories of cardiovascular (CV), endocrine, or neurological diseases underwent adiposity measurements [(body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat mass (PBF), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)], the HRV assessment (SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, LF/HF, and pNN50), and examination for CV risk factors (fasting glucose, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, hs-CRP, and blood pressure). RESULTS: Compared with BMI and PBF, WHR was more strongly correlated with each HRV index and more likely to predict decreased HRV (<15 percentile vs. > or =15 percentile of each HRV index) in ROC curves analysis. In linear regression analysis, all adiposity measures were inversely associated with each HRV measure before adjusting for age, gender, and CV risk factors (p<0.05). After adjusting for the covariates, WHR was inversely related to RMSSD, LF, and pNN50; PBF with RMSSD, HF, and pNN50; BMI with RMSSD (p<0.05). The inversed association between HRV indices and the gender-specific WHR tertile was significant for subjects with BMI > or =25 kg/m2, but not for those with BMI <25 kg/m2. CONCLUSION: WHR and PBF appear to be better indicators for low HRV than BMI, and the association between abdominal adiposity and HRV may be stronger in overweight subjects.
*Adiposity ; Adult ; Female ; Heart/physiopathology ; Heart Diseases/complications/diagnosis/ethnology ; Heart Rate/*physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Obesity/*complications/*diagnosis/ethnology ; Overweight/complications/diagnosis/ethnology ; ROC Curve ; Regression Analysis ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors

INTRODUCTIONElevated levels of psychopathology have been described in various groups of obese patients. This study aimed to describe the presence of depressive and binge eating symptoms in patients presented for clinical weight management at a general hospital in Singapore, as well as their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Correlations between these symptoms and other demographic and clinical variables were also sought.

MATERIALS AND METHODSPatients presented at a clinical weight management programme were asked to complete the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Binge Eating Scale (BES) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Clinical and demographic data were also collected.

RESULTSOf the group, 17.1% reported moderate or severe binge eating symptoms and 9.7% reported moderate or severe depressive symptoms. HRQOL, mostly in physical health domains, was lower in this sample compared to local norms. Within the group, binge eating and depressive symptoms, but not increasing obesity, predicted poorer HRQOL.

CONCLUSIONSPsychological symptoms are significantly present in patients presented for clinical weight management and these contribute to poorer quality of life. Addressing these symptoms will improve the overall well-beings of these patients and the total benefits gained will exceed the benefits of weight loss per se.

Adult ; Aged ; Depression ; complications ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Feeding and Eating Disorders ; complications ; epidemiology ; Female ; Health Status Indicators ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; complications ; ethnology ; psychology ; therapy ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Quality of Life ; psychology ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Young Adult