Obesity in Egyptian children: Effect on cardiac function and dimensions

Abstract

We aim to define the effect of obesity in Egyptian children on cardiac function and dimensions also to investigate the possible relation between obesity and other co-morbid cardiovascular risk factors. The current study is a prospective descriptive study included 44 children with exogenous obesity aged from 4 to 16 years with a mean of 8.54 ± 2.4 years in addition to a healthy 35 children as a control group. All study groups underwent clinical examination, lipid profile in addition to meticulous echocardiography. Our results revealed that blood pressure was comparable in both groups and mean serum triglyceride level (though in the normal level) was significantly higher in the obese group with P = 0.035. Also left ventricular wall thickness, mass and mass index were significantly higher in obese group compared to normal weight group with P value 0.001, 0.045 and 0.035, respectively. Myocardial systolic function was comparable in both groups but diastolic function presented by isovolumetric relaxation time and E/A was significantly different in favor for the control group. We also observed a significant positive linear relationship between body mass index and both left ventricular thickness and left ventricular mass. However by correlating cardiac dimension with the lipid profile no significant relation could be elicited. Our data showed that obesity in the absence of dyslipidemia and hypertension (as co-morbid cardiovascular risk factors) is associated with increased left ventricular wall thickness and mass also it is a risk factor for left ventricle diastolic dysfunction.