ABSTRACT
Obesity produces an increase in total blood volume and cardiac output because of the
high metabolic activity of excessive fat. In moderate to severe cases of obesity,
this may lead to left ventricular dilation, increased left ventricular wall stress,
compensatory (eccentric) left ventricular hypertrophy, and left ventricular diastolic
dysfunction. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction may occur if wall stress remains
high because of inadequate hypertrophy. Right ventricular structure and function may
be similarly affected by the aforementioned morphologic and hemodynamic alterations
and by pulmonary hypertension related to the sleep apnea/obesity hypoventilation syndrome.
The term obesity cardiomyopathy is applied when these cardiac structural and hemodynamic
changes result in congestive heart failure. Obesity cardiomyopathy typically occurs
in persons with severe and long-standing obesity. The predominant causes of death
in those with obesity cardiomyopathy are progressive congestive heart failure and
sudden cardiac death.
KEY INDEXING TERMS
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© 2001 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
