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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Heart Failure Risk Grows as Body Mass Index Passes
30, Begins Thickening Heart Muscle
Study finds obesity thickens muscle in left ventricle
- heart’s pumping chamber
 June 19, 2007 – Obesity can cause a heart attack,
new research finds, because excessive body weight - Body Mass Index
(BMI) of 30 or greater - causes a thickening of the heart muscle in the
left ventricle, the heart’s pumping chamber.
Known to physicians as “left ventricular
hypertrophy” (LVH), the condition potentially can lead to heart failure
and rhythm problems.
This new research from The University of Arizona
Sarver Heart Center, which helps explain why excessive body weight
increases the risk for heart disease, claims to be the largest study of
its kind..
The study was by cardiologist M. Reza Movahed, MD,
PhD, and research specialist Adolfo A. Martinez, MD.
“We observed that the thickening in the muscle wall
becomes especially noticeable in obese patients who have a Body Mass
Index (BMI) of 30 or greater,” says Dr. Movahed.
“Previous studies have shown that left ventricular
hypertrophy is associated with a higher risk of mortality.”
Analyzing 17,261 heart ultrasounds, the UA
researchers studied moving images of the heart to evaluate structure and
function.
Results showed that narrowing of the aortic valve,
the main valve that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the
body, was the strongest predictor of LVH, followed by gender and Body
Mass Index.
While the cause of LVH in obese patients is not
known, it may be related to increased work load or to the presence of
other cardiac risk factors in these patients.
The findings may guide physicians who study obesity
and cardiac function. Drs. Movahed and Martinez presented the results of
their study at the 18th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American
Society of Echocardiography (ASE) in Seattle, Wash. The meeting
concludes June 20.
“These results are another stake in the ground that
supports healthy lifestyles for the benefit of heart protection,” says
Dr. Movahed.
“Maintaining a proportionate BMI may prevent LVH
and lead to better heart function.”
Editor’s Notes:
Reference: Left ventricular hypertrophy is
independently associated with body mass index and gender. Mohammad-Reza
Movahed and Adolfo A. Martinez, The University of Arizona Sarver Heart
Center, Tucson, Ariz.
The Sarver Heart Center is a Center of Excellence
at The University of Arizona College of Medicine engaging in basic and
clinical research, patient care, training of health care professionals
and public education. It is home to more than 120 physicians and
scientists working toward a future free of heart disease and stroke. To
learn more, visit
www.heart.arizona.edu
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