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Morphological and Functional Assessment of the Right Ventricle Using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Association of subclinical right ventricular dysfunction with obesity
Chiew Y Wong1, Trisha O'Moore-Sullivan, Rodel Leano
1University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
|February 7, 2006
Summary
Increasing body mass index (BMI) is linked to worsening right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in overweight and obese individuals. This RV dysfunction occurs independently of sleep apnea, highlighting BMI as a key factor.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Obesity Medicine
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Right ventricular dysfunction in obesity is often attributed to comorbidities like obstructive sleep apnea.
- This study investigates the direct determinants of RV dysfunction in overweight and obese individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the factors contributing to right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in overweight and obese populations.
- To assess the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and RV function.
Main Methods:
- 112 overweight/obese subjects and 36 referents underwent standard and tissue Doppler echocardiography.
- Tissue Doppler imaging measured RV systolic (s(m)) and diastolic (e(m)) velocities and strain indexes.
- Analysis correlated BMI with RV function, adjusting for age, insulin, and arterial pressures.
Main Results:
- Severely obese subjects (BMI >35 kg/m2) exhibited significantly reduced RV function (s(m), peak strain, peak strain rate, e(m)) compared to referents, irrespective of sleep apnea.
- Overweight and mildly obese individuals showed lesser degrees of reduced systolic function.
- Higher BMI was independently associated with RV dysfunction, which correlated with reduced exercise capacity in obese patients.
Conclusions:
- Increasing BMI is directly associated with increasing severity of RV dysfunction in overweight and obese individuals.
- RV dysfunction in this population is independent of obstructive sleep apnea.
- BMI is a significant determinant of RV dysfunction, even in the absence of overt heart disease.
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