“It’s really surprising, because by studying changes in heart rate variability we are looking at an indicator that is very illustrative of how the autonomic nervous system affects heart rate.” heart health»
The authors, belonging to the Washington University School of Medicine, in Saint Louis (United States), and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, in Rome (Italy), have discovered that a certain basic indicator of the heart’s ability to adapt physical activity, stress, sleep and other elements that affect the frequency with which the heart pumps blood deteriorate more slowly in people who limit the amount of calories consumed for about seven years, compared to those who do not limit their caloric intake.
“It’s really surprising, because by studying changes in heart rate variability we looked at an indicator that is very illustrative of how the autonomic nervous system affects the heart,” says Dr. Luigi Fontana, a researcher associated with the two institutions. of the senior authors of the study on the heart health.
«That system is involved not only in heart function, but also in digestion, respiratory rate and many other involuntary actions. “You might hypothesize that better variability in heart rate might be a sign that all those other functions are working better, too.”
Heart health: an issue to consider
In the above-mentioned research into the heart health, the authors placed wearable heart monitors on twenty-two individuals who not only limited their calorie intake by 30% but also followed a healthy diet. The age of these persons was just over 51 years.
To reach their conclusions, the researchers examined twenty other people of the same age who followed a typical Western diet. According to their results on the heart healththe heart rate of the test group was significantly lower than that of the control group, while the variability of their heart rate was greater than that of the control group.
“Greater heart rate variability means the heart can more easily adapt to changes in demand,” says lead author Dr. Phyllis K. Stein of the Washington School. «Heart rate variability decreases with age, because our cardiovascular system loses flexibility. “Low variability leads to a higher risk of death from cardiovascular causes.”
Dr. Stein added that the study aimed to determine whether those who restrict calories experience a similar adjustment in their heart rate variability as that found in animal calorie restriction studies.
“First we wanted to find out whether calorie restriction in humans leads to a similar adjustment of heart rate variability in animals, which has already been investigated,” Fontana added. “The answer is yes.
We also study normal levels of heart rate variability in people of different ages. What is positive for the heart health. “And we observed that those who practice calorie restriction have hearts that look and function like hearts that are many years younger.”
The data is still in its raw state, but the authors believe that a healthy diet and calorie restriction make significant changes in people and help them live healthier lives. Healthy living.
“In many of our studies we have seen that a series of metabolic and physiological changes occur in animals subjected to calorie restriction, which are replicated in humans who do so as well,” Fontana pointed out, referring to the heart healthwho noted that since heart rate variability is better in those who consume fewer calories, their cardiovascular systems are also flexible.
“But we cannot say with certainty that the practice of calorie restriction is the only reason for the flexibility of the cardiovascular system,” Stein said. “Those who practice it tend to be very healthy in other areas of life as well. I’m confident they’re not saying to themselves, “Well, I’m going to limit my calorie intake so I can live longer, but I’m going to continue smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.” These are highly motivated people who typically follow healthy habits in many areas and are committed to maintaining them heart health.»