Left ventricular hypertrophy evaluation in obese hypertensive patients: effect of left ventricular mass index criteria.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate left ventricular mass (LVM) index in hypertensive and normotensive obese individuals.


METHODS
Using M mode echocardiography, 544 essential hypertensive and 106 normotensive patients were evaluated, and LVM was indexed for body surface area (LVM/BSA) and for height2 (LVM/h2). The 2 indexes were then compared in both populations, in subgroups stratified according to body mass index (BMI): <27; 27-30; >/= 30kg/m2.


RESULTS
The BSA index does not allow identification of significant differences between BMI subgroups. Indexing by height2 provides significantly increased values for high BMI subgroups in normotensive and hypertensive populations.


CONCLUSIONS
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been underestimated in the obese with the use of LVM/BSA because this index considers obesity as a physiological variable. Indexing by height2 allows differences between BMI subgroups to become apparent and seems to be more appropriate for detecting LVH in obese populations.
Rosa
Eduardo Cantoni
EC
Division of Nephrology, Kidney and Hypertension Hospital, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brasil. eduardocantoni@uol.com.br
Moyses
Valdir Ambrósio
VA
Sesso
Ricardo Cintra
RC
Plavnik
Frida Liane
FL
Ribeiro
Fernando Flexa
FF
Kohlmann
Nárcia E B
NE
Ribeiro
Artur Beltrame
AB
Zanella
Maria Tereza
MT
Kohlmann
Osvaldo
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001830:Body Surface Area; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography