P3444Overweight and obesity in a Mediterranean pediatric population: impact in cardiac chambers morphology and systolic function

Abstract Background Obesity is a major medical and public health problem. A high body mass index has been associated with increased mortality and cardiovascular disease morbidity. Obesity in adults is related to hypertrophy and left ventricular dilatation. Previous studies have shown that, in Spain, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood is 26% and 12.6% respectively. The association between obesity and left ventricular morphology has been poorly studied in the pediatric population. Aim To investigate the relationship between childhood obesity and the dimensions of cardiac structures and systolic function in a Mediterranean pediatric population. Methods A random sample of children and adolescents in primary and secondary education was selected, stratified by age, gender and educational centers in a rural town of 2864 inhabitants in southern Spain. Children between 6 and 17 years old were included. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed for the evaluation of cardiac chambers morphology and systolic function. Results A total of 212 children were studied (10.9±3.0 years old and 51.9% males): 106 (50%) were normal weight, 57 (26.9%) were overweight and 49 (23.1%) were obese. Results are shown in the table. Age and sex were similar in the three groups. Overweight and obesity were related to larger values of left ventricle end-diastolic diameter and volume, left atrial volume and right ventricle basal diameter, and lower values of left ventricle ejection fraction. Normal weight Overweight Obese p Age 10.9±3.2 10.7±2.7 11.0±2.8 0.79 Male (%) 50.9% 49.1% 57.1% 0.69 End-diastolic left ventricle diameter (mm) 41.1±5.5 42.8±5.4 44.2±5.5 0.003 End-diastolic left ventricle volume (mm) 57.9±18.6 64.3±18.3 78.1±22.4 <0.0005 Interventricular septum (mm) 6.3±1.4 6.7±1.3 7.0±1.7 0.01 Left ventricle mass (g) 69.3±30.1 80.9±30.2 94.8±36.5 <0.0005 Left atrium volume (mm) 19.7±6.8 22.6±6.5 27.9±7.4 0.004 Basal right ventricle diameter (mm) 27.6±4.5 28.0±3.9 30.2±4.2 0.001 Left ventricle ejection fraction (%) 65.7±3.6 63.6±4.7 61.5±4.6 <0.0005 Conclusions Overweight and obese children have larger cardiac chambers, higher left ventricular mass, and worse systolic function compared with normal weight children of similar age and sex.