Body mass index is related to autonomic nervous system activity as measured by heart rate variability

ABSTRACT Autonomic nervous system activity is involved in body weight regulation. We assessed whether the body mass index (BMI) is related to the autonomic nervous system activity as

assessed by heart rate variability (HRV). Twenty-five adult normotensive, euglycemic healthy males (M) and females (F) were studied (M/F=13/12). BMI was assessed in each individual. HRV was

assessed and the domains of low frequencies (LF, index of the sympathetic modulation) and high frequencies (HF, index of the parasympathetic modulation) were measured. Data were

statistically analyzed and are presented as mean±s.d. Mean BMI did not correlate with either HF or LF. It inversely related to HF (_r_=−0.50, _P_<0.01), whereas its relationship with LF

was marginally significant (_r_=−0.39, _P_=0.05). The HF in individuals with BMI <20 kg/m2 was significantly higher from those measured in the remaining subjects (_P_<0.05). The

results support the role of parasympathetic activity in influencing BMI through likely modulation of body weight. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of

subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $259.00 per year only

$21.58 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS REDUCED HEART-RATE

VARIABILITY AND INCREASED RISK OF HYPERTENSION—A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF THE ELSA-BRASIL Article 18 January 2021 A NEW APPROACH TO INTERPRETING THE LF/HF RATIO: A STUDY IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Article 23 May 2025 REDUCED HEART RATE VARIABILITY IS RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF METABOLIC SYNDROME COMPONENTS AND MANIFEST DIABETES IN THE SIXTH TROMSØ STUDY 2007–2008 Article Open access 14

July 2022 REFERENCES * Balbo SL, Grassiolli S, Ribeiro RA, Bonfleur ML, Gravena C, Brito Mdo N _et al_. (2007). Fat storage is partially dependent on vagal activity and insulin secretion of

hypothalamic obese rat. _Endocrine_ 31, 142–148. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Berthoud HR (2008). The vagus nerve, food intake and obesity. _Regul Pept_ 149, 15–25. Article  CAS  Google

Scholar  * Christin L, O'Connell M, Bogardus C, Danforth Jr E, Ravussin E (1993). Norepinephrine turnover and energy expenditure in Pima Indian and white men. _Metabolism_ 42, 723–729.

Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Davy KP, Orr JS (2009). Sympathetic nerovus system behavior in human obesity. _Neurosci Biobehav Rev_ 33, 116–124. Article  Google Scholar  * Flaa A, Sandvik

L, Kjeldsen SE, Eide IK, Rostrup M (2008). Does sympathoadrenal activity predict changes in body fat? An 18-y follow-up study. _Am J Clin Nutr_ 87, 1596–1601. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  *

Levine JA, Eberhardt NL, Jensen MD (1999). Role of nonexercise activity thermogenesis in resistance to fat gain in humans. _Science_ 283, 212–214. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Nagai N,

Matsumoto T, Kita H, Moritani T (2003). Autonomic nervous system activity and the state and development of obesity in Japanese school children. _Obes Res_ 11, 25–32. Article  Google Scholar

  * Quilliot D, Böhme P, Zannad F, Ziegler O (2008). Sympathetic-leptin relationship in obesity: effect of weight loss. _Metabolism_ 57, 555–562. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Szatajzel J

(2004). Heart rate variability: a non invasive electrocardiographic method to measure the autonomic nervous system. _Swiss Med Wkly_ 134, 514–522. Google Scholar  * Vanltallie TB (2001).

Resistance to weight gain during overfeeding: a NEAT explanation. _Nutr Rev_ 59, 48–51. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * A Molfino and A

Fiorentini: These authors contributed equally to this work. AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy A Molfino, A Fiorentini, L

Tubani, M Martuscelli, F Rossi Fanelli & A Laviano Authors * A Molfino View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * A Fiorentini View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * L Tubani View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * M Martuscelli View

author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * F Rossi Fanelli View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * A

Laviano View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to A Laviano. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Molfino, A., Fiorentini, A., Tubani, L. _et al._ Body mass index is related to autonomic nervous system activity as measured by heart rate variability.

_Eur J Clin Nutr_ 63, 1263–1265 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.35 Download citation * Received: 05 October 2008 * Revised: 17 April 2009 * Accepted: 27 April 2009 * Published: 27

May 2009 * Issue Date: October 2009 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.35 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable

link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative KEYWORDS * sympathetic nervous

system * fat deposition * vagus nerve * HRV