Study of Cardiovascular Changes in Adolescents with Simple Obesity

Abstract

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality that has deleterious effects on cardiovascular function. The aim of this work was to screen early cardiovascular abnormalities in obese asymptomatic adolescents using Conventional Echocardiography and Electrocardiogram. Fifty asymptomatic obese adolescents selected from National Heart Institute were compared to fifty non-obese normal controls with mean age of (12.44 ± 1.91) and (11.99 ± 1.89) years respectively. All studied adolescents were subjected to: careful history taking, complete clinical examination, laboratory investigation: fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, fasting insulin, insulin resistance, echocardiography and ECG. Results: It revealed statistical significant differences between obese and non-obese groups regarding left ventricle septal wall in diastole (LVSd), posterior wall thickness in diastole (LVPWd), relative wall thickness (RWT), LV end diastolic and systolic diameter (LVEDD and LVESD) and LV mass (P-value: 0.000). The left atrial dimensions (LA) were also significantly higher in the obese subjects than in the control group (P-value: 0.000). For the Doppler measurements, the early and late mitral valve velocity and the ratio between them (MVE velocity, MVA velocity and MV E/A) were significantly higher in obese than control subjects (P-value: 0.000). A strong positive correlation was noted between BMI and left atrial size (P-value: 0.003), left ventricular septum in diastole (LVSd) (P-value: 0.000), LVEDD (P-value: 0.005) and LVESD (P-value: 0.000), posterior wall thickness in diastole (LVPWd) (P-value: 0.012), left ventricle septal wall in diastole (LVSd) (P-value: 0.000) and left ventricular mass (P-value: 0.010). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that asymptomatic obese adolescents had significant changes in left ventricular dimensions and early diastolic filling compared to non-obese subjects.