Childhood Obesity Is Associated With Subclinical Left Ventricular Dysfunction Detected by Speckle Tracking...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing concern linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk.
• Obesity can lead to structural and functional changes in the heart, even in normotensive children.
• Early detection of cardiac alterations is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of childhood obesity on cardiac structure and function.
• To assess left ventricular (LV) dimensions and myocardial strain in normal weight, overweight, and obese children.
• To identify subclinical cardiac changes associated with varying degrees of obesity using 2D-STE.

Main Methods:

• Sixty normotensive children were categorized into normal weight, overweight, and obese groups based on BMI.
• Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) was employed to evaluate cardiac parameters.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare groups and identify associations between variables.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in weight and BMI were observed across the three groups (P = .001).
• Overweight and obese children exhibited significantly lower LV strain (P = .001) and strain rate (P = .002) compared to normal weight children.
• LV mass was significantly larger in obese children versus overweight children (P = .047).
• LV strain showed associations with age, weight, and height.
• LV strain rate was associated with weight, and left atrial area with height.

Conclusions:

• Childhood obesity is associated with subclinical alterations in LV dimensions and myocardial longitudinal strain.
• 2D-STE is effective in recognizing these early cardiac changes in normotensive obese children.
• These findings highlight the importance of monitoring cardiac health in children with obesity.