Correlations between Anthropometrics and Electrocardiographic Variables in Japanese University Students: Investigation by Annual Health Screening

Aims: Anthropometrics provide important health and fitness indicators in University students and have potential impacts on electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities leading to cardiac events. However, the correlations between anthropometrics and ECG data are controversial in young adults. This study aimed to investigate the effects on ECG of body mass index (BMI) in Japanese University students which shows unique distribution differing from that in the western youths.

Place of the Study: Infirmaries of Kyushu University Campus, Fukuoka, Japan.

Methodology: Participants (n = 6,786) were recruited from legal Annual Health Screening Program of a Japanese University (2014 and 2015), and 6,649 participants (4,693 males and 1,956 females) were the subjects of the study protocol. Anthropometric and blood pressure (BP) measurements and ECG recording were conducted.

Results: This study demonstrated age-matched gender difference of BP, anthropometrics and ECG, i.e., PR interval and QRS duration in males were longer than corresponding parameters in females but the opposite was found in the QT interval corrected by heart rate (QTc). BP and some ECG variables were dependent on BMI but the dependence of each ECG parameter on BMI differed individually in regression analyses. Positive linearity was found in PR interval and QRS duration, and negative linearity was obtained in frontal QRS axis, i.e., lengthening of PR interval and QRS duration and leftward shift of QRS axis were observed by BMI increment. Concaved parabolic correlation between QTc and BMI may indicate that lean and high BMI groups with relative QTc prolongation require lifestyle intervention.

Conclusions: The findings obtained by this mass screening are helpful in healthcare management of Japanese University students showing anthropometrics quite different from those in westerners.