Correlation between Left Ventricular Electromechanical Delay and Body Mass Index.

Background: There have been reports of subclinical but substantial variations in the anatomy and function of the left ventricle (LV) in morbidly obese people who show no outward signs of cardiac disease. Between 11% and 14% of those with heart failure (HF) have a high body mass index (BMI). Objective: The aim of the current study was to assess the effect of BMI on LV electromechanical delay in persons without cardiac illness. Patients and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 66 patients, recruited from Cardiology Department, Suez Canal University Hospital. Results: A statistically significant difference was seen in our study regarding weight, BMI and body surface area (P values 0.001, 0.001 and 0.013, respectively) as obese group had the highest mean of weight (98.05±11.5). Conclusion: Left ventricular electromechanical changes in obese people with normal heart rhythm and no symptoms of heart trouble may have latent systolic dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]