Abstract

Background – Body mass index (BMI) serves as an index of adiposity, and adiposity has been postulated to influence the functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The World health organisation (WHO) and other regional agencies have put forward various classifications based on BMI. Methodology – This study was done on 60 healthy females in the age group of 18-25 years who have been classified into three groups of 20 each based on WHO BMI classification. A battery of autonomic function tests (AFTs) as proposed by Ewing was done and the results were compared across the groups using unpaired t test, with significance set at P < 0.05. Results – All the seven tests representing the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system were normal, but there was a statistically significant lesser fall in SBP to standing in underweight and overweight individuals compared to normal BMI subjects. Conclusion – The Autonomic nervous system was normal in our study subjects of different BMI categories, as depicted by the results of the AFTs.

Authors and Affiliations