Effect of obesity on left ventricular function studied by radionuclide angiocardiography
Licata, G.; Scaglione, R.; Barbagallo, M.; Parrinello, G.; Capuana, G.; Lipari, R.; Merlino, G.; Ganguzza, A.
International Journal of Obesity 15(4): 295-302
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0307-0565 PMID: 2071319 Document Number: 383146
67 subjects 44 with overweight or moderate obesity and 23 lean healthy subjects, were studied. They were divided into 3 groups according to body mass index (BMI) levels and Garrow's criteria as follows: lean control group (BMI <25 kg/msuperscript 2); overweight (BMI from 25 to 30 kg/msuperscript 2); moderate obese (BMI >30 <40 kg/msuperscript 2). Overweight and moderate obese subjects were further subgrouped according to duration of obesity (DO) in subgroup A (DO <98 months) and in subgroup B (DO >98 months). Haemodynamic assessment was performed using first pass radionuclide angiocardiography. Compared with lean subjects, overweight and moderate obese subjects were characterized by a significant increase in cardiac output (CO), stroke volume, end diastolic volume, end systolic volume, total blood volume (TBV) and total plasma volume and by a significant decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (EF); some of these changes appeared to be related to the degree of obesity. In overweight and moderate obese subjects, total peripheral resistance was lower than in lean controls, but this difference was not significant. Moreover EF values were significantly lower in subgroup B in comparison with subgroup A, but only in moderate obese subjects (P<0.01). In all subjects studied, BMI was inversely correlated with EF (P<0.001) and directly with CO (P<0.01) and with TBV (P<0.01). In all obese subjects, EF was inversely correlated with DO (P<0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed that correlations between EF, BMI and DO were independent of mean blood pressure values. It is suggested that obesity could represent an independent risk factor for congestive heart failure after a long term incubation period.