Presence of age- and sex-related differences in heart rate variability despite the maintenance of a suitable level of accelerometer-based physical activity

Abstract

There is currently a lack of information adjacent on the influence of sex and age in heart rate variability (HRV), adjusted according to accelerometer-based physical activity (PADL). We hypothesized that the effect of sex and age on the HRV should be reduced or absent in individuals with a suitable PADL level. We aim to evaluate the influence of sex and age on HRV, adjusted for the confounding effects of the PADL level. A total of 485 age-stratified subjects (18–39, 40–59, and ≥60 years) underwent HRV analyses at rest and 7-day assessments of accelerometer-based PADL. Multivariate analyses of covariance were done using log-transformed HRV indices as outcomes, age and sex as fixed factors, and PADL, cardiovascular risk, fat body mass, and heart rate (HR) at rest as covariates. Despite the adjustment for directly measured PADL, women had better indices of vagal tone, whereas men had higher sympathetic influence. Also, compared to middle-aged and older adults, younger individuals (ages 18–39 years) presented better HRV. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that age and sex were the main predictors of HRV indices, even after adjusting for PADL directly assessed by triaxial accelerometer and HR. We also observed that the correlation between some HRV indexes and the different indexes of physical activity directly evaluated was significant, but not very consistent. Thus, HRV indices are influenced by age and sex, regardless of accelerometer-based physical activity. Interventions with physical activity and exercise aimed at improving the autonomic modulation of asymptomatic adults should take such differences into account.

Feature of Heart Rate Variability and Metabolic Mechanism in Female College Students with Depression

“…The RMSSD is a sensitive index that reflects the vagus nerve [30], which means that the larger the value is, the stronger the autonomic nerve regulation ability. HF power is an index that reflects the change in vagus nerve activity, and an increase in HF power indicates that the activity of the vagus nerve is enhanced [31]. LF power is a compound regulatory function of the sympathetic nerve and vagus nerve, which further reflects the heart rate changes caused by baroreceptor reflex and blood pressure regulation [32].…”

Predictive values of heart rate variability, deceleration and acceleration capacity of heart rate in post‐infarction patients with LVEF ≥35%

“…Besides, the median age of SCA (79 years old) was higher than most previous studies (Bauer, Barthel, & Schneider, 2009; Bauer et al., 2006; Hamm et al., 2017). It is reported that HR variability lapses coming with age, and values of representative indices of the parasympathetic nervous system were lower in older persons (Spina, Gonze, & Barbosa, 2019; Voss, Schroeder, & Heitmann, 2015), which might diminish the differences between SCA and non‐SCA. Furthermore, the system of heart rate regulation seems to be multilevel and complicated, factors such as gender, drug interferences, and concomitant diseases might also be involved.…”

Associations of Sedentary Time with Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

“…The included articles were published between 2011 and 2020. The populations were from Australia [21], Brazil [23,26,[40][41][42], Canada [43], Denmark [20,22], Finland [25], Spain [44], the United Kingdom [24], and Sweden [18]. The sample sizes of the included articles ranged from 35 [26] to 46,832 [18].…”

“…Recently, higher resting HR and lower HRV have been proposed as an important linking mechanism between ST and CVD [18][19][20]. However, observational studies evaluating the association between ST and HR or HRV in adults have reported inconsistent results including negative, positive, and null associations [18,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. To address this uncertainty, we systematically reviewed the current evidence relating ST to HR and HRV to shed light on whether this proposed mechanism is supported by the available research and to clarify the potential role of cardiac-autonomic dysfunction in the association of ST with CVD and mortality.…”