Gender based alteration in autonomic activity in young adults

The autonomic nervous system is a division of peripheral nervous system that controls automated body functions like heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and metabolism. Women have been seen to have lower cardiovascular risk and this is believed to be because of the regulatory influence of oestrogen on autonomic nervous system. The current study was conducted on 326 healthy medical students, 163 each of both sexes, in age group of 19 to 25 years, divided into Group-1 (males) and Group-2 (females). The parameters recorded and tests used were pulse rate, standing to lying ratio, 30: 15 ratio, valsalva ratio and expiratory-inspiratory ratio for assessment of parasympathetic activity and pulse rate, blood pressure, orthostasis, cold pressor test, mental arithmetic test and corrected QT interval for assessment of sympathetic activity. Our findings show that young adult females have lower parasympathetic activity as compared to males of the same age group, who have a higher sympathetic activity.