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Improvements in Heart Rate Variability in Women with Obesity: Short-term Effects of Sleeve Gastrectomy

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Abstract

Purpose

Obesity has been associated with reduced vagal function and increased sympathetic activity. Cardiac autonomic dysfunction has emerged as a major risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. Cardiac autonomic function (CAF) can be assessed by heart rate variability (HRV), an independent predictor of mortality based on changes in time intervals between adjacent heartbeats (RR). Bariatric surgery is considered the most effective treatment for obesity and its comorbidities, with sleeve gastrectomy (SG) being the most frequent bariatric procedure. There are few studies on HRV changes in women with obesity after SG. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term impact of SG on CAF and its relationship with weight loss.

Materials and Methods

An observational cohort study was conducted. Twenty-three female patients were assessed before SG and at 1 and 3 months after surgery. CAF was evaluated by analyzing HRV from 5-min records of RR intervals while the subject was supine. HRV was analyzed in time and frequency domains and with a nonlinear method.

Results

Patients (36.0 ± 11.1 years old, BMI 35.1 ± 3.4 kg/m2) presented higher HRV values, on average, in all domains both at 1 and 3 months after SG (p < 0.05). In addition, all anthropometric parameters improved (p < 0.001) although there was no relationship between HRV improvements and anthropometric changes.

Conclusion

SG seems to be effective at reducing excess weight and improving HRV at the short term, and these changes are detectable as early as the first month after surgery. HRV assessment appears as a promising low-cost tool that deserves further research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias de la Rehabilitación, Universidad Andres Bello, 2531015, Viña del Mar, Chile

    Paulina Ibacache

  2. Hospital de Urgencia Asistencia Pública, 8330075, Santiago, Chile

    Paulina Cárcamo

  3. Facultad de Ciencias de la Rehabilitación, Universidad Andres Bello, 7591538, Santiago, Chile

    Claudia Miranda

  4. Clínica Ciudad del Mar, 2520021, Viña del Mar, Chile

    Andrés Bottinelli

  5. Clínica Reñaca, 2540364, Viña del Mar, Chile

    Jaime Guzmán

  6. Department of Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, Universidad de Almería, 04120, Almería, Spain

    Elena Martínez-Rosales & Enrique G. Artero

  7. SPORT Research Group (CTS-1024), CERNEP Research Center, Universidad de Almería, 04120, Almería, Spain

    Elena Martínez-Rosales & Enrique G. Artero

  8. Physical Therapy Department, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, 8380453, Santiago, Chile

    Marcelo Cano-Cappellacci

  9. Physical Therapy School, Universidad de Valparaíso, 2540064, Viña del Mar, Chile

    Marcelo Cano-Cappellacci

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  1. Paulina Ibacache
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Correspondence to Marcelo Cano-Cappellacci.

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Ibacache, P., Cárcamo, P., Miranda, C. et al. Improvements in Heart Rate Variability in Women with Obesity: Short-term Effects of Sleeve Gastrectomy. OBES SURG 30, 4038–4045 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04721-y

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