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Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in children with overweight and obesity
Insights
Childhood obesity is linked to early heart changes. Overweight children show increased left ventricular size and diastolic dysfunction, indicating potential myocardial damage despite preserved systolic function.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
- Obesity Medicine
Background:
- Obesity is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Previous studies suggest an association between obesity and heart failure.
- Early detection of cardiac changes in pediatric obesity is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of obesity severity on left ventricular structure and function in children.
- To assess systolic and diastolic function parameters in overweight and obese children compared to healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Prospective controlled study involving 21 overweight/obese children and 23 healthy controls.
- Evaluated nutritional status, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
- Echocardiography assessed left ventricular dimensions, mass, wall thickness, and ejection fraction.
Main Results:
- Overweight and obese children exhibited higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
- Increased left ventricular size was observed in this group.
- Diastolic dysfunction with preserved systolic function was identified.
Conclusions:
- Obese and overweight children show early structural and functional myocardial damage.
- Alterations in left ventricular diastolic function are detectable despite preserved systolic function.
- Obesity severity appears to intensify these cardiac changes.
Objectives:
Several studies have found an association between obesity and heart failure. The purpose of our study was to identify the influence of the severity of obesity in children on structural and functional changes of the left ventricle and parameters of the systolic and diastolic function.
Methods:
This was a prospective controlled study carried out between February 1 and October 31, 2010, involving 21 children with overweight and obesity and 23 healthy controls. Following parameters were evaluated: nutritional status, intermittent and continuous ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, echocardiographic examination including aortal root diameter, left atrial diameter, interventricular septum thickness, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricle mass, relative wall thickness, left ventricular mass/height index and ejection fraction.
Results:
In overweight and obese children, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, average day-time SBP were higher than in controls. Also, left ventricular size was increased and diastolic dysfunction with preserved systolic function was present in overweight children.
Conclusions:
In our study we have found that in obese and overweight children signs of early myocardial damage, both structural and functional, are detectable mainly as the alteration of the left ventricular diastolic function, despite preserved global systolic function. These changes seem to be intensified by the severity of obesity (Tab. 3, Ref. 39).
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