[Effect of obesity on the morphology of the left ventricle].
BACKGROUND
To analyze the relationship between obesity in its different degrees and the left ventricle morphology.


METHODS
M-mode echocardiography was used to estimate the mass, wall thickness and internal dimension of left ventricle in 48 obese women with different degrees of obesity, defined according to the body mass index. 25 women with normal weight were used as controls.


RESULTS
The body mass index was correlated with left ventricular mass, as well as with both the wall thickness of the left ventricle and its diastolic internal dimension. The abnormalities in the heart morphology increased according to the obesity degree, ranging from a 59% in the lesser obesity group up to a 100% in the more obese women. The incidence of the left ventricular hypertrophy determined by echocardiography also increased along with the body mass index, ranging from a 29% in the lesser degree of obesity women up to an 82% in the patients with a body mass index > 35 kg/m2.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity, even in its lowest degrees, shows frequent alterations in the heart morphology. This is related with a left ventricular mass increase and a higher incidence of the left ventricular hypertrophy. The left ventricular mass increase is due to an increase in the left ventricular walls thickness and also to a dilatation of its cavity.
Pascual Díaz
M
M
Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia.
Tébar Massó
F J
FJ
Hernández Martínez
A M
AM
Pomares Gómez
F
F
Vicente Vera
T
T
Soria Arcos
F
F
Pascual Figal
D
D
Valdés Chavarri
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D014463:Ultrasonography