The relation between obesity and left ventricular diastolic function in young people: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is a possible physiological link between high body mass index (BMI) and future occurrence of heart failure (HF). The present cross-sectional study was aimed to analyze the association between BMI and LVDD by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).METHODS: This study was conducted from May ۲۰۱۷ to September ۲۰۱۹ in Khorshid Hospital of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Based on the calculated BMI (kg/m²), patients were divided into three groups: group ۱: subjects with BMI < ۲۵, as a normal group (n = ۷۵), group ۲: volunteer cases with ۴۰ > BMI ≥ ۳۰, as an obese group (n = ۹۸), and group ۳: patients with BMI ≥ ۴۰, as a morbidly obese group (n = ۱۰۰). TTE was performed by a trained cardiologist and associated variables including left atrium (LA) volume, E, septal e’, lateral e’,andE/e’ were assessed and also subjects were characterized as normal diastolic function, abnormal diastolic function, and inconclusive diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction (DD).RESULTS: Apart from the ejection fraction (EF) and the tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV), there was a significant difference between the other echocardiographic variables including LA volume, E, septal e’, lateral e’, and E/e’ (P < ۰.۰۵). One patient with morbid obesity in our study revealed LVDD. There was no significant difference between three groups (P = ۰.۴۲).CONCLUSION: There is no considerable relationship between obesity and LVDD. It seems that the absence of associated comorbidities such as diabetes, coronary disorders, etc. plays a crucial role in preventing LVDD, but for realistic and definitive decision, more cellular and molecular investigations and studies with larger sample size are necessary.