Obesity-related autonomic nervous system disorders are best associated with body fat mass index, a new indicator

Abstract

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, represented through alterations of heart rate variability (HRV), is a major risk predictor of all-cause mortality in the general adult population [ [1] Tsuji H. Larson M.G. Venditti Jr., F.J. et al. Impact of reduced heart rate variability on risk for cardiac events. The Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 1996; 94: 2850-2855 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1426) Google Scholar ]. Obesity has been associated with significant abnormalities of cardiac autonomic regulation [ [2] Sztajzel J. Golay A. Makoundou V. et al. Impact of body fat mass extent on cardiac autonomic alterations in women. Eur J Clin Invest. 2009; 39: 649-656 Crossref PubMed Scopus (37) Google Scholar ], and abdominal adiposity, as measured by waist circumference, is a recognized risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) [ 3 Rimm E.B. Stampfer M.J. Giovannucci E. et al. Body size and fat distribution as predictors of coronary heart disease among middle-aged and older US men. Am J Epidemiol. 1995; 141: 1117-1127 PubMed Google Scholar , 4 Folsom A.R. Stevens J. Schreiner P.J. McGovern P.G. Body mass index, waist/hip ratio, and coronary heart disease incidence in African Americans and whites. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study Investigators. Am J Epidemiol. 1998; 148: 1187-1194 Crossref PubMed Scopus (112) Google Scholar ].