Influence of pre & post prandial states  on measures of heart rate variability in  healthy subjects

Shweta  Sehgal; Rahul  Kapoor; R.C. Gupta; M.M. Khan; Indu  Pisharody; Meeta  Agnihotri

Volume : II, Issue : XI, November - 2013

Influence of pre & post prandial states on measures of heart rate variability in healthy subjects

Shweta Sehgal, Rahul Kapoor, R. C. Gupta, M. M. Khan, Indu Pisharody, Meeta Agnihotri

Abstract :

Objective: Heart rate variability refers to variations of heart beat intervals of sinus rhythm and is used for the noninvasive investigation of cardiac autonomic function & also used as prognostic factor in life threatening cardiac disease. Further study is done to compare the changes in heart rate variability in pre & post – prandial states in young healthy individuals . Material & methods: Frequency domain measures of heart rate variability were obtained using medical analyzer module of Nivomon Software. ECG was recorded in twenty healthy male subjects (mean age 23.45 + 2.86) in pre–prandial & post–prandial states continuously for a period of five minutes (300 seconds) each time as follows :– 1) Pre lunch ( just before lunch ), 2) Post lunch 1 (15 minutes after lunch), 3) Post lunch 2 (1 hour after lunch), 4) Post lunch 3 ( 2 hours after lunch). Frequency domain measures of heart rate variability were compared between pre–prandial state & different post–prandial states. Results: There was no significant decrease in high frequency values of heart rate variability (which shows parasympathetic activity) between pre–prandial & the post–prandial states. Conclusions: The parasympathetic activity is not altered. The parameters denoting low frequency values of heart rate variability ( which shows sympathetic activity) also do not show a significant change.