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Adapted changes in left ventricular structure and function in severe uncomplicated obesity.

Gianluca Iacobellis1, Maria Cristina Ribaudo, Alessandra Zappaterreno

  • 1Center for Human Nutrition, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390-9052, USA. gianluca.iaco@tin.it

Obesity Research
|November 13, 2004
PubMed
Summary

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Severe obesity (BMI > 50 kg/m²) is linked to cardiac changes, but uncomplicated cases show mostly adapted heart structure and function. These findings suggest the heart can adjust to significant excess weight without dysfunction.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Obesity Medicine
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Massive obesity, defined by a body mass index (BMI) over 50 kg/m², may impact cardiac morphology and performance.
  • Limited data exists on the cardiac effects of severe obesity in individuals without other health complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate cardiac structure and function in severely obese individuals without complications.
  • To compare cardiac parameters between severely obese subjects and a normal-weight control group.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiography was performed on 55 uncomplicated severely obese subjects (BMI 51.2 ± 8.8 kg/m²) and 55 age-matched normal-weight controls.
  • Evaluated parameters included left ventricular (LV) mass, geometry, systolic function, and diastolic function.

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Main Results:

  • Severely obese subjects exhibited greater LV mass and indexed LV mass compared to controls (p < 0.01).
  • However, LV mass was appropriate for sex, height, and stroke work in 77% of obese subjects.
  • Obese individuals demonstrated a hyperdynamic systolic function, with higher ejection fraction and midwall shortening (p = 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively).

Conclusions:

  • Uncomplicated severe obesity is associated with largely adapted cardiac structure and function.
  • Despite significant fat tissue, the heart demonstrates appropriate changes and preserved systolic performance in this population.