Cardiac Structure and Function in Morbidly Obese Parturients: An Echocardiographic Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Obstetrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Obesity is a growing global health concern.
• Pregnancy and obesity individually affect cardiac structure and function.
• Limited data exists on cardiac changes in morbidly obese pregnant women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cardiac structural and functional differences in morbidly obese pregnant women compared to normal BMI pregnant women.
• To test the hypothesis of distinct cardiac profiles between these groups.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cross-sectional study in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Compared 40 morbidly obese (BMI ≥40 kg·m) pregnant women (group O) with 45 normal BMI (BMI ≤30 kg·m) pregnant women (group N).
• Assessed cardiac structure and function using transthoracic echocardiography.

Main Results:

• Morbidly obese women had higher mean arterial pressure.
• Increased left ventricular mass and lower stroke volume index were observed in group O.
• Prolonged isovolumetric relaxation time and reduced septal tissue Doppler velocity (S' septal, E' septal) noted in group O.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac index was similar between groups.
• Increased left ventricular mass and reduced stroke volume index in obese pregnancies may indicate limited adaptive reserve.
• Minor decreases in septal Doppler velocities were found, but no clinically significant diastolic dysfunction.