Left ventricular hypertrophy induced by weight excess in children and adolescents

Background: Obesity is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, an independent risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate obesity-induced left ventricular hypertrophy in overweight/obese children and adolescents and demonstrate possible early echocardiographic abnormalities in overweight children compared to obese children.Methods: The study included 55 children and adolescents (24 overweight and 31 with obesity) and 55 normal weight children. Standard M-mode echocardiography was performed in all participants. Parameters associated with left ventricular structure and function were recorded and statistically analysed.Results: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVmass/height395th percentile) was diagnosed in 33% of overweight children and 66.5% of children with obesity (p=0.01). Mean left ventricular mass/height3 and left ventricular mass/height2.7 were significantly higher in children with obesity compared to overweight children, as well as compared to the normal weight children. On the contrary, mean values of the index left ventricular mass/body surface area did not differ significantly among study groups. Furthermore, mean left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, interventricular septal thickness and left atrial diameter, presented significant differences among the 3 studied groups, even between overweight andnormal weight children. Both systolic and diastolic function of left ventricular function were normal in our study groups. Conclusions: Overweight children demonstrate significant early changes in left ventricular wall dimensions compared to normal weight children, while children with obesity additionally present a significant increase in left ventricular mass. Future studies are needed to explore the effect of dietary programs and other interventions on cardiac function parameters in these children