Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Jan 12:12:5.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2431-12-5.

Resting heart rate as a predictor of metabolic dysfunctions in obese children and adolescents

Ismael F Freitas Júnior  1 , Paula A Monteiro, Loreana S Silveira, Suziane U Cayres, Bárbara M Antunes, Karolynne N Bastos, Jamile S Codogno, João Paulo J Sabino, Rômulo A Fernandes
Affiliations

Resting heart rate as a predictor of metabolic dysfunctions in obese children and adolescents

Ismael F Freitas Júnior et al. BMC Pediatr. .

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have identified that a higher resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with elevated blood pressure, independent of body fatness, age and ethnicity. However, it is still unclear whether RHR can also be applied as a screening for other risk factors, such as hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. Thus, the purpose of the presented study was to analyze the association between RHR, lipid profile and fasting glucose in obese children and adolescents.

Methods: The sample was composed of 180 obese children and adolescents, aged between 7-16 years. Whole-body and segmental body composition were estimated by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Resting heart rate (RHR) was measured by heart rate monitors. The fasting blood samples were analyzed for serum triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and glucose, using the colorimetric method.

Results: Fasting glucose, TC, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C and RHR were similar in both genders. The group of obese subjects with a higher RHR presented, at a lower age, higher triglycerides and TC. There was a significant relationship between RHR, triglycerides and TC. In the multivariate model, triglycerides and TC maintained a significant relationship with RHR independent of age, gender, general and trunk adiposity. The ROC curve indicated that RHR has a high potential for screening elevated total cholesterol and triglycerides as well as dyslipidemia.

Conclusion: Elevated RHR has the potential to identify subjects at an increased risk of atherosclerosis development.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Characteristics of resting heart rate to screen metabolic dysfunctions in obese children and adolescents.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association between quartiles of resting heart rate and metabolic variables in obese children and adolescents.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sinaiko AR, Donahue RP, Jacobs DR Jr, Prineas RJ. Relation of weight and rate of increase in weight during childhood and adolescence to body size, blood pressure, fasting insulin, and lipids in young adults. The Minneapolis Children's Blood Pressure Study. Circulation. 1999;99:1471–6. - PubMed
    1. Huang PL. eNOS, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2009;20:295–302. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2009.03.005. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kotsis V, Stabouli S, Papakatsika S, Rizos Z, Parati G. Mechanisms of obesity-induced hypertension. Hypertens Res. 2010;33:386–93. doi: 10.1038/hr.2010.9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Rabbia F, Grosso T, Cat Genova G, Conterno A, De Vito B, Mulatero P, Chiandussi L, Veglio F. Assessing resting heart rate in adolescents: determinants and correlates. J Hum Hypertens. 2002;16:327–32. doi: 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001398. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Al-Qurashi MM, El-Mouzan MI, Al-Herbish AS, Al-Salloum AA, Al-Omar AA. Age related reference ranges of heart rate for Saudi children and adolescents. Saudi Med J. 2009;30:926–31. - PubMed