A novel diastolic dysfunction score: A proposed diagnostic predictor for left ventricular dysfunction in obese...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Obesity Medicine
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Obesity-related diastolic dysfunction is a growing cause of heart failure and cardiovascular mortality.
• Current diagnostic methods are often invasive or complex, limiting routine clinical and community use.
• There is a need for accessible tools to identify at-risk individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, non-invasive scoring system for predicting diastolic dysfunction in obese adults.
• To address the diagnostic gap for early detection of cardiac complications in obesity.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, community-based cross-sectional study in Jakarta, Indonesia (March-November 2021).
• Included 82 obese adults (BMI ≥25 kg/m²) aged 18-60, excluding those with acute illnesses or specific heart conditions.
• Utilized blood tests, polysomnography, and echocardiography to assess participants.

Main Results:

• 80.5% of participants had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); 12.2% had diastolic dysfunction, all within the OSA group.
• A novel score integrating oxygen desaturation index (ODI), HbA1c, pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP), and global longitudinal strain (GLS) was developed.
• A score of ≥2 demonstrated 90% sensitivity for predicting diastolic dysfunction, with a negative predictive value of 98.33%.

Conclusions:

• The developed diastolic dysfunction score is a simple and practical tool.
• It enables early detection of diastolic dysfunction in obese individuals, even those asymptomatic for cardiovascular disease.
• This scoring system can aid in proactive management and prevention of heart failure in the obese population.