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Updated: Jan 25, 2026
06:34
Evaluation of Left Ventricular Structure and Function using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
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On the association between body fat and left ventricular mass
Lars Lind1, Karl Michaelsson2, Stefan Söderberg3
1Department of Medical Sciences.
Journal of Hypertension
|May 7, 2019
Summary
Body fat significantly impacts left ventricular mass (LVMI). Blood pressure and glucose mediate one-third of this effect, with leptin also playing a key role in this relationship.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Metabolic Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Intervention studies indicate a link between reduced body weight and decreased left ventricular mass (LVM).
- Understanding the causal pathways between body composition and cardiac structure is crucial for cardiovascular health.
- Adipose tissue depots and associated metabolic factors may influence cardiac remodeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the causal relationship between fat mass and left ventricular mass indexed for lean mass (LVMI).
- To determine the extent to which blood pressure (BP), diabetes (glucose), and adipokines mediate the effect of fat mass on LVMI.
- To compare the associations of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) with LVMI.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Prospective Study of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (n=1016).
- Measured LVM via echocardiography (indexed to LVMI), and fat/lean mass via dual-energy X-ray.
- Quantified VAT and SAT using abdominal MRI in a subset (n=275) and analyzed relationships using structural equation modeling.
Main Results:
- A significant positive association was found between total fat mass and LVMI (standardized coefficient 0.280).
- Blood pressure and glucose collectively mediated 29.0% of the total effect of fat mass on LVMI, with BP being the primary mediator (24.4%).
- Leptin was identified as a significant adipokine mediator, and both VAT and SAT showed similar associations with LVMI.
Conclusions:
- Approximately one-third of the association between body fat and LVMI is mediated by blood pressure and glucose levels.
- Leptin emerges as a significant mediator in the fat mass-LVMI pathway.
- Visceral and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue demonstrate comparable relationships with LVMI in this cohort.
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