RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Obese individuals with a binge eating disorder (BED) differ from obese non-binge eaters (NBED) with respect to (a) eating behaviour, (b) psychiatric comorbidity and (c) level of psychosocial distress. The aim of the study was to explore whether these three factors have an influence on cardiac parasympathetic function, that is independent of obesity: as alterations in cardiac parasympathetic function may have a role in the higher cardiovascular mortality that is present in obese individuals. METHODS: In total, 38 obese women (BMI>30 kg/m(2)), with a BED and 34 age and BMI matched healthy controls (NBED) completed a laboratory stress protocol that incorporated a baseline resting period, Head-up Tilt Testing (HUT) and two challenging mental tasks. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured continuously during the protocol. Parasympathetic cardiac regulation was assessed as the high frequency component of heart rate variability (HRV-HF). RESULTS: Mental challenge led to an augmented reduction of HRV-HF in obese binge eaters, which was linked to the binge eating frequency and hunger perception, but not to psychiatric comorbidity. During baseline conditions and HUT, no significant differences in parasympathetic measures were observed between the two subject groups. CONCLUSION: Subjects with a BED showed greater reduction in parasympathetic cardiac control (HRV-HF) during mental stress, suggesting higher stress vulnerability in women with a BED. Longitudinal investigations are necessary to evaluate whether this is associated with an increased cardiovascular mortality.