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. Aim: 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.