Waist Circumference as a potential indicator of cardiac autonomic profile in Metabolic Syndrome - A cross-sectional study

Abstract

AbstractIntroduction- Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), a global epidemic on the rise, affects about one-third of the world’s population. MetS poses significant cardiovascular risk often assessed through the cardiac autonomic function test Heart Rate Variability (HRV). This study attempts to identify a suitable anthropometric or biochemical proxy for resource-intensive HRV to assess cardiac autonomic profile in primary and community healthcare setups.Methodology- This cross-section study assessed relevant anthropometric, biochemical, and HRV parameters of 174 patients recently diagnosed with MetS.Results- Waist circumference (WC) had a significant (p<0.05) moderate to strong (r=0.49) positive correlation with sympathetic predominant HRV parameters - LFnu and LF/HF ratio. Parasympathetically modulated HRV parameters like Average RR (r=-0.17), rMSSD (r=-0.23), and HF (r=-0.49) had a significant (p<0.05) negative correlation with WC.Conclusion- The study identifies WC as a suitable indicator for cardiac autonomic profile in patients with MetS and by extension of cardiovascular posed by the disease.