J Korean Acad Fam Med.  2007 Apr;28(4):249-255.

Relationship of Left Ventricular Mass to Obesity in Normotensive Adults

• Yang SW
• Yoo DS
• Choi EJ
• Shin YJ
• Lee DY
• Cheong SS
• Kim JS
• Park WS
• Oh MK

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The combination of hypertension and obesity are well known to act as risk factors of left ventricular hypertrophy in a number of studies, but it is unclear whether obesity itself stimulates LVH independently. Therefore, we investigated the relationship of left ventricular mass to body size in normotensive adults.
METHODS
A population sample of 240 normotensive (systolic BP < 140 mmHg and diastolic BP < 90 mmHg) adults (139 men and 101 women) was examined by echocardiography. We excluded adults with history of hypertension, thyroid diseases, diabetes mellitus and other cardiac diseases. Left ventricular mass normalized for height(2.7) was used in the analyses and left ventricular hypertrophy was defined as a value of 50 g/m(2.7) men or 47 g/m(2.7) in women.
RESULTS
Left ventricular mass significantly and positively correlated with body mass index. On univariate correlation analysis after adjusting for age, the body mass index was associated with LV mass/height(2.7) (LVMI: Left Ventricular Mass Index) in males and body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist/hip circumference ratio were associated with LVMI in females. Left ventricular hypertrophy was more frequent in overweight (33.3%) and obese (39.4%) groups than in lean group (15.9%).
CONCLUSION
Left ventricular mass was strongly related to obesity in normotensive adults, especially in females. Obesity may be an independent risk factor for left ventricular hypertrophy.

Keyword

obesity; left ventricular mass; left ventricular hypertrophy; normotension

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Body Mass Index
Body Size
Diabetes Mellitus
Echocardiography
Female
Heart Diseases
Hip
Humans
Hypertension
Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular
Male
Mortality
Obesity*
Overweight
Risk Factors
Thyroid Diseases
Waist Circumference