Features of Cardiac Remodeling, Associated With Blood Pressure and Fibrosis Biomarkers, Are Frequent in Subjects With Abdominal ObesityNovelty and Significance

International audienceIncidence and prevalence of abdominal obesity (AO) are growing exponentially. Subjects with AO are at higher risk of developing heart failure. The purpose of the study was to investigate early changes in cardiac and arterial structure and function and extracellular matrix biomarkers in normotensive healthy subjects with AO. Subjects with AO and age- and sex-matched controls underwent echocardiography, MRI (cardiac remodeling index), carotid intima-media thickness, pulse wave velocity, and blood fibrosis biomarkers measurements. We enrolled 87 subjects with AO and 53 controls. Although normotensive, subjects with AO had higher systolic blood pressure (BP; 122±11 versus 116±11 mm Hg; P=0.003), left ventricular mass (94±24 versus 84±21 g; P=0.034), and cardiac remodeling index (0.67±0.16 versus 0.60±0.10 g/mL; P=0.026) but unchanged carotid intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity. Diastolic dysfunction (E'