A Comparative Study of Heart Rate Variability in Young Adult Indian Males and Females

Coronary Heart Diseases (CHDs) are major causes of mortality globally. In Indian sub-continent, they cause more than 25% of all deaths annually. According to the “Global Burden of Diseases Study” in India, by the year 2020, projections for CHD mortality are 1.46 and 1.12 millions in men and women respectively. 1 Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been used as a simple, cheaper, non-invasive tool to analyze cardiovascular health. It has been reported that women in premenopausal age group have lower incidence of cardiac afflictions as compared to men. This may point towards healthier autonomic parameters in women compared to men. Among normal subjects, males are under the dominance of sympathetic system whereas females reveal parasympathetic preponderance. 2