Study of Cardio Respiratory Parameters in First Year Medical Students with Special Reference to Anthropometric Indices

Abstract

Rationale: The price we are paying for an affluent and developed society is a sedentary life style and faulty dietary habits which results in an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, which in turns lead to obesity. Increasing prevalence of obesity in the adolescents worldwide is now a major concern. Aim: To study, that there is statistically significant increase in heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in overweight subjects when compared to normal weight subjects. Similarly, there is a statistically significant decrease in FVC and PEFR in overweight when compared to normal weight subjects. Methods: Study will be carried out at Government medical college, Nagpur. Subjects will be selected from 18-22 years age group. Estimated total sample size will be 200 subjects. Cardio-respiratory parameters such as heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, forced vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate will be assessed. Results: all the cardiac parameters i.e. heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were significantly increased in overweight subjects when compared with controls. While, respiratory parameters i.e. FVC (forced vital capacity) and PEFR (peak expiratory flow rate) were reduced in overweight subjects when compared with controls. Conclusion: There is a positive correlation between increase in body mass index (BMI) and change in heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.

•There is a negative correlation between increase in body mass index (BMI) and change in forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR).