Relationship Between Orthostatic Cardiovascular Responses and Anthropometric Indices in Apparently Healthy Young Female Adults

TL;DR

This study explores how body weight and height relate to cardiovascular responses in young women when standing, offering insights for better health assessments.

Contribution

The study identifies body weight and height as predictors of orthostatic shock index and blood pressure changes in young females.

Findings

Body weight strongly correlates with the orthostatic shock index (r=0.803).

Height negatively correlates with orthostatic systolic blood pressure (r=-0.719) and pulse pressure (r=-0.702).

Abstract

Background

Understanding the relationship between orthostatic cardiovascular responses and anthropometric indices can provide insight into cardiovascular regulation, autonomic function, and disease risk stratification. Orthostatic responses like changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate can be potentially influenced by body composition, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). These anthropometric factors play a crucial role in maintaining hemodynamic stability during postural changes due to their complex interaction in modifying factors like systemic vascular resistance, cardiac output, and autonomic control. Alteration in this systemic interaction can be reflected by a change in the shock index (SI) and double product (DP), serving as surrogate markers for cardiovascular efficiency and myocardial workload, respectively. This study aims to investigate how the orthostatic response and the anthropometric indices relationship can be used to assess an individual's vulnerability to dysautonomia, hypotension, or cardiovascular stress during orthostasis.

Materials and methods

Thirty healthy female individuals, averaging 19.5 years, who satisfied the inclusion criteria were selected for the study. Body weight, height, and body mass index were measured. Blood pressure, pulse rate, and other parameters were determined at baseline (sitting position) and after 10 minutes of standing using standard procedures. Statistical significance was accepted at P<0.05.

Results

Although there was no correlation between the body mass index and cardiovascular parameters after 10 minutes of standing, body weight showed a strong positive correlation with the orthostatic shock index (r=0.803). On the other hand, height correlated negatively with orthostatic systolic blood pressure (r=-0.719) and orthostatic pulse pressure (r=-0.702), respectively.

Conclusion

The study's findings suggest that body weight and height can be used to predict orthostatic shock index, systolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure in young adult females. Assessing these orthostatic responses can help refine cardiovascular risk assessments, contributing to personalized medical interventions and improved long-term health outcomes.

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