title: The effect of low-carbohydrate diet on left ventricular diastolic function in obese children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was conducted to evaluate left ventricle (LV) functions using conventional and tissue Doppler imaging in childhood obesity and to identify the effects of diet on LV diastolic functions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiographic measurements were compared in 34 obese children and 24 age- and gender-matched lean controls. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance levels were also obtained. Thirty-one of the obese children were subjected to a low-carbohydrate diet and their follow-up measurements were obtained after 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left atrial diameter, LV mass and LV mass index were higher in obese children than in lean controls. Lateral mitral myocardial early diastolic (E(m)) and peak E(m)/myocardial late diastolic (A(m)) were lower, and mitral E/E(m) and lateral mitral myocardial isovolumetric relaxation time were higher in obese subjects than in lean controls. Insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance levels were higher in obese patients and decreased significantly after diet. After diet therapy, lateral mitral E(m) and peak E(m)/A(m), were increased, mitral E/E(m) and myocardial isovolumetric relaxation time were decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity predisposes children to increased preload reserve, left ventricular subclinical diastolic dysfunction and deterioration in diastolic filling. Weight reduction with a low-carbohydrate diet seems to be associated with significant improvement in LV diastolic function and a decrease in diastolic filling, as well as causing reversal in insulin resistance seen in obese children.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Cardiology Clinic, Siyami Ersek Cardiovascular Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. cenapzeybek@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Cenap
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeybek
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celebi
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aktuglu-Zeybek
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onal
authors.forename: Yalim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yalcin
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: Celal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akdeniz
authors.forename: Elnur
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Imanov
authors.forename: Suheyla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altay
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydin
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003971:Diastole; D050528:Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left