Prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy and determinants of left ventricular mass in obese women.
BACKGROUND
Obesity is frequently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), a condition leading to an increased cardiovascular risk.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of LVH in a cohort of obese women, with a main focus on the anthropometric and clinical parameters that are associated with an increased left ventricular mass (LVM).


METHODS
The study was performed in 166 obese female patients. LVM was measured by echocardiography. The influence of various parameters on LVM was assessed by multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
The prevalence of LVH was drastically different depending on the type of indexed LVM, being 19.9% when the LVM was indexed for body surface area and 72.3% when indexed for height. Age, duration of obesity, weight, waist-to-hip ratio, pulse pressure and hypertension retained an independent direct correlation with the LVM, explaining 39.6% of the overall LVM variability. Among the parameters of the metabolic syndrome, the increase in blood pressure was the main determinant of increased LVM.


CONCLUSIONS
By using allometric indexation of LVM for height, the results of our study indicate a high prevalence of LVH in a cohort of obese women. Hypertension, pulse pressure, age, duration of obesity, bodyweight and fat distribution, expressed as waist-to-hip ratio, predict 40% of LVM variation.
Obesity Centre at the Endocrinology Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. g.salvetti@int.med.unipi.it
Guido
G
Salvetti
Andrea
A
Pucci
Paola
P
Fierabracci
Giovanni
G
Ceccarini
Caterina
C
Palagi
Maria Grazia
MG
Delle Donne
Vitantonio
V
Di Bello
Paolo
P
Piaggi
Paolo
P
Vitti
Antonio
A
Salvetti
Aldo
A
Pinchera
Ferruccio
F
Santini
D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers