Contribution of Doppler echocardiography to the evaluation of systolic and diastolic function of obese women versus a control group.
OBJECTIVE
To study by doppler echocardiography the cardiac systolic and diastolic functions of health, uncomplicated obese subjects.


METHODS
Fifty-nine obese women with an average body mass index (BMI) of 35 kg/m2 were evaluated and compared with 19 subjects with an average BMI of 23 kg/m2 (control group).


RESULTS
In the obese group, a clear tendency was observed toward higher systolic pressure, increased wall thickness and, consequently, myocardial mass, elevation on the circumference stress of the left ventricular wall, and an indisputable presence of diastolic abnormalities. Filling abnormalities were observed with impaired relaxation, with prolonged isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and augmented atrium contribution representing early indexes of cardiac dysfunction when systolic performance is still normal.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity is generally a chronic condition, and doppler echocardiography can be used as a noninvasive instrument for early evaluation of left ventricular diastolic indexes.
InRad, Institute of Radiology, and Group of Obisity and Metabolic Diseases of the Endocrinology Service, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
N
N
Herszkowicz
A
A
Barbato
W
W
Salvi
D
D
Pinheiro
D
D
Pantaleão
A
A
Halpern
G G
GG
Cerri
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001830:Body Surface Area; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology