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Interaction between myocardial and vascular changes in obese children: a pilot study

Laurens P Koopman1, Brian W McCrindle, Cameron Slorach

  • 1Labatt Family Heart Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : Official Publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
|January 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Obese children with lipid abnormalities exhibit impaired cardiac function and early vascular changes, indicating abnormal ventricular-vascular coupling. These findings highlight the interconnectedness of cardiovascular health in pediatric obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Obesity in children is linked to vascular and myocardial structural/functional changes.
  • Limited data exist on the relationship between these vascular and myocardial changes.
  • Investigating these interconnections is crucial for understanding pediatric cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate vascular and myocardial changes in obese children with lipid abnormalities.
  • To examine the interactions between vascular and myocardial parameters in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional, prospective observational study involving 21 obese and 27 normal-weight children (aged 14 ± 2 years).
  • Cardiac assessment included geometric parameters and myocardial deformation (strain/strain rate) via echocardiography.
  • Vascular assessment included carotid intima-media thickness, pulse-wave velocity, arterial stiffness, and ventricular-arterial elastance.

Main Results:

  • Obese children showed reduced left ventricular (LV) systolic radial and longitudinal strain, and early diastolic strain rate.
  • Increased carotid intima-media thickness, faster pulse-wave velocity, and lower arterial distensibility were observed in obese children.
  • A lower ratio of arterial elastance to LV end-systolic elastance (ventricular-arterial coupling) was found in obese children, with correlations between vascular and myocardial parameters.

Conclusions:

  • Obese children with lipid abnormalities present with reduced LV systolic and diastolic deformation, early vascular changes, and increased arterial stiffness.
  • These findings suggest abnormal ventricular-vascular interaction in pediatric obesity.
  • Further investigation into these interactions is warranted.
Abstract

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