Alteration of Cardiovascular Autonomic Functions by Vegetarian Diets in Postmenopausal Women is Related to LDL Cholesterol Levels

Chin-Hua Fu；Cheryl C. H. Yang；Chin-Lon Lin；Terry B. J. Kuo

vegetarian diets ； postmenopausal women ； low-density lipoprotein ； coronary artery disease ； heart rate variability ； frequency-domain analysis

The Chinese Journal of Physiology

51卷2期（2008 / 04 / 01）

100 - 105

英文

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that alteration of cardiovascular autonomic functions by vegetarian diets in healthy postmenopausal women is related to lipid metabolism. A total of 70 healthy postmenopausal women not on hormone therapy participated in this study: 35 were vegetarians (mean age 55.0 years) and 35 were omnivores (mean age 55.1 years). Cardiovascular autonomic functions and baroreflex sensitivity were evaluated by specific frequency-domain measures of heart rate variability (HRV) and arterial blood pressure fluctuation. The vegetarians had statistically significant lower blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglyceride, and fasting glucose levels compared with the omnivores. The vegetarians exhibited a significant higher total power, low-frequency (LF; 0.04-0.15 Hz) and high-frequency (HF; 0.15-0.4 Hz) of HRV and increased baroreflex sensitivity measures [Brr(LF) and Brr(HF)] compared with the omnivores. Total power, LF and HF of HRV, Brr(LF), and Brr(HF) were significant negatively correlated to LDL-cholesterol concentrations (P ＜ 0.01). We conclude that the increases of cardiac vagal activity and baroreflex sensitivity by vegetarian diets in postmenopausal women are inversely related to LDL-cholesterol levels.

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