Left ventricular mechanical dysfunction in obesity is exacerbated during inotropic stress cine DENSE CMR in mice

Background Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Studies in both obese humans and murine models of obesity have identified changes in left ventricular (LV) mechanics (i.e., strains, strain rates, and torsion), which manifest prior to global changes in cardiac function (ejection fraction) and may represent early markers of cardiovascular disease. These data are generally acquired under resting conditions, which could mask subtle differences in the early stages of disease. We sought to evaluate LV mechanics under inotropic stress conditions with the hypothesis that mechanical deficiencies with obesity would be exacerbated under stress conditions and revealed at earlier stages of disease.