Heart rate variability dynamics in obese men following the results of the health improvement programme

Background. Ob esit y is known t o be very detrimental to health, so wellness programs are needed to optimize dietary habits and physical activity in people of different ages. In order to evaluate the effects of health improvement, it is important to use informative approaches, and heart rate variability is one of the most promising and sensitive methods for determining the functional state of the body’s regulatory systems. The aim. T o use heart rate variability indices to assess the consequences of obesity and the effects of a wellness program. Ma t erials and methods . The health improvement program was initiated on the basis of the sanatorium «Isloch» (Republic of Belarus), including recovery procedures and balanced nutrition. Long-term monitoring was carried out at the Institute of Physiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (Minsk) 3 times with an interval of 3–4 months. Thestudyincluded 46 menofvaryingbodyweight, aged 24–60 years. Heartrate variability was analysed using the hardware-software complex “Ekosan” and the software “Varicard” (Russian Federation). R esults. Initial examination r evealed a decrease in total regulatory power and other significant deviations in heart rate variability in obese people compared to the normal group. Based on the results of the study, it has been shown that a reduction in body weight of 4.5 kg or more in obese men leads to normalisation of most of the detected abnormalities in heart rate variability. Conclusion. Thus , if health r ecommendations ar e adhered t o during the one-year fol low-up period , ob ese men show a reduction in body weight, accompanied by a normalisation of heart rhythm parameters.