DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i07.005

Pages: 2503-2507

Overweight and obesity is a worldwide public health challenge. It is associated with abnormal function of autonomic nervous system. Function of autonomic nervous system can be easily measured by chronotropic response and heart rate recovery. Objective of our study was to compare heart rate response to exercise and heart rate recovery between normal weight and overweight/obese adults. Study was conducted at Ashok and Rita Patel Institute of Physiotherapy after getting approval from Institutional Research Board. 52 normal weight and 52 overweight and obese adults were included. Body mass index and waist hip ratios of each participant were calculated. All participants underwent Harvard step testing. Heart rate was measured using Polar Heart Rate monitor. At the end of test chronotropic response ,heart rate recovery and harvard fatigue index was calculated. Mean body mass index of normal weight and overweight/obese group age was19.92±1.73 kg/m2 and 27.12±3.36kg/m2, respectively. Odds of having chronotropic incompetence and abnormal heart rate recovery were higher among overweight/obese group, compare to normal weight group. (Chronotropic incompetence, OR= 1.37, 95% CI ,Heart Rate Recovery, OR= 4, 95% CI). In overweight group body mass index was found to be negatively correlated with peak heart rate (r= -0.34,p=0.05) and chronotropic response (r= -0.352, p=0.04). Between group analysis (for chronotropic response and heart rate recovery) revealed no statistical significant difference. Odds of having chronotropic incompetence and abnormal heart rate recovery were higher among participants of overweight/obese group. Chronotropic response and heart rate recovery are two easy measures of autonomic indices. If they are routinely incorporated into clinical practice they can easily categorize patients into high risk and low risk category.