Association Between Elevated Body Mass Index and Cardiac Organ Damage in Children and Adolescents: Evidence and Mechanisms.

Introduction: Although a number of pathophysiological aspects of childhood obesity have been reported, few information are available on obesity-related cardiac organ damage.

Aim: The present study was aimed at assessing the impact of anthropometric, blood pressure (BP) and metabolic variable on cardiac structure and function in youth.

Methods: In 78 subjects aged 5-16 years attending the outpatient clinic of cardiovascular risk (Valencia, Spain) anthropometric and metabolic variables, clinic and ambulatory BP and echocardiographic parameters were assessed.

Elevated heart rate as sympathetic biomarker in human obesity.

Background And Aim: The present study was aimed at determining whether and to what extent a specific heart rate (HR) cutoff value allows to identify in obeses a more pronounced level of adrenergic overdrive.

Methods And Results: In 86 obese subjects aged 44.7 ± 0.