title: Childhood obesity and cardiac remodeling: from cardiac structure to myocardial mechanics.
abstract: Epidemic of obesity, especially morbid obesity, among children and adolescents, is a key factor associated with the dramatic increase in prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, and metabolic syndrome in this population. Furthermore, childhood obesity represents a very important predictor of obesity in adulthood that is related to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents are associated with impairment of cardiac structure and function. The majority of studies investigated the influence of obesity on left ventricular remodeling. However, the impact of obesity on the right ventricle, both the atria, and myocardial mechanics has been insufficiently studied. The aim of this review article is to summarize all data about heart remodeling in childhood, from cardiac size, throughout systolic and diastolic function, to myocardial mechanics, using a wide range of mainly echocardiographic techniques and parameters. Additionally, we sought to present current knowledge about the influence of weight loss, achieved by various therapeutic approaches, on the improvement of cardiac geometry, structure, and function in obese children and adolescents.
authors: aUniversity Clinical Hospital Center, 'Dr Dragisa Misovic - Dedinje', Heroja Milana Tepica bFaculty of Medicine, Doktora Subotica, Belgrade, Serbia cUniversity of Milan-Bicocca and Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Clinical Research Unit, Viale della Resistenza, Meda, Italy.
authors: Marijana
authors: M
authors: Tadic
authors: Cesare
authors: C
authors: Cuspidi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000473:pathology*; D007223:Infant; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology