Assessment of Index of Cardio-Electrophysiological Balance and Left Ventricular Mechanical Dispersion in Obese...

To evaluate the corrected index of cardio-electrophysiological balance (ICEBc) and left ventricular mechanical dispersion (LVMD), in obese individuals and to examine their associations with obesity severity and electromechanical myocardial heterogeneity.

This prospective case-control study included obese individuals (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) and normal-weight healthy controls. All participants underwent standard 12-lead electrocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography. The ICEB and corrected ICEB (ICEBc) were calculated from ECG recordings. LVMD was assessed using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography. Comparisons between groups and correlation analyses between ICEBc, LVMD, and body mass index (BMI) were performed using appropriate statistical methods, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Obese individuals had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures. LVMD was significantly higher and global longitudinal strain was significantly lower in obese participants. QTc and ICEBc were significantly higher in obesity. Among obese subgroups, LVMD and ICEBc increased with obesity severity. LVMD showed a good positive correlation with ICEBc (r = 0.675, p < 0.001). BMI correlated moderately with LVMD (r = 0.543, p < 0.001) and weakly with ICEBc (r = 0.257, p = 0.021).

Obesity was associated with higher LVMD and ICEBc values, suggesting increased electrical and mechanical myocardial heterogeneity. LVMD and ICEBc may serve as complementary, non-invasive surrogate markers of obesity-related electromechanical remodeling. Larger longitudinal studies with rhythm monitoring are required to determine whether these parameters predict clinical arrhythmic events.