Body fat, especially visceral fat, is associated with electrocardiographic measures of sympathetic activation

Abstract

Objective: Obesity is associated with sympathetic activation, but the role of different fat depots is unclear. The association between body fat, specifically visceral fat, and electrocardiographic measures of sympathetic activation in a population with structurally normal hearts was investigated. Methods: In this cross-sectional baseline analysis of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study, body fat percentage was assessed with BIA and abdominal subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Mean heart rate (HR) and five other electrocardiographic measures of sympathetic activation were calculated. We performed multivariate linear regression analyses. Results: In 868 participants with a mean age(SD) of 55(6) years, BMI of 26(4) kg/m 2 , 47% men, body fat was associated with HR and two other measures of sympathetic activation. Per sex-specific SD total body fat, the difference in HR was 1.9 beats/min (95% CI: 1.0, 2.9; P < 0.001) and per SD waist circumference 2.1 beats/min (95% CI: 1.3, 2.9; P < 0.001). The difference in HR per SD VAT was 2.1 beats/min (95% CI: 1.3, 3.0; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Body fat, especially visceral fat, was associated with electrocardiographic measures of sympathetic activation. Our study implies that already before the onset of cardiovascular disease, excess (visceral) body fat is associated with sympathetic activation.

Association of metabolic syndrome and electrocardiographic markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease

“…Possibilities are increased sympathetic system activity, elevation of the diaphragm and increased cardiac output leading to left ventricular hypertrophy [36, 37]. Body fat was associated with measures of sympathetic activation in subjects with structurally normal hearts in the NEO study [38]. The leftward (superior) shifts of the T-, P- and QRS axis were associated with obesity in other studies [39–41].…”

Age- and sex-based reference ranges for non-invasive ventricular repolarisation parameters

“…Moreover, repolarisation markers have been studied in athletes and in non‐morbidly obese populations …”

Impaired cardiac autonomic nervous system function is associated with pediatric hypertension independent of adiposity

“…A potential explanation may be the differences in methods used, as our study utilized SphygmoCor MM3 system while the Farah et al, used a heart rate monitor (POLAR, RS 800CX), which may have differences in sensitivity. Another potential explanation for this discrepancy is our adjustment for pubertal maturation and adiposity, both of which have been shown to affect these relationships(23, 24). Additionally, our sample had a larger proportion of youth classified as pre-hypertensive / hypertensive (25% versus 9.7%), which could help explain these differences.…”