Effect of overweight and obesity on the left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a association exits among overweight and obesity and left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions in patients admitted with first ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: The present study was performed on 451 consecutive patients diagnosed with first STEMI (376 men, 75 women; mean age 56.1 ± 10.8 years). The patients were classified into three groups based on their body mass index (BMI) as normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2), overweight (BMI: 25-29.9 kg/m2) and obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2). Echocardiographic features were evaluated and compared among the three groups.

Results: Mitral annulus E velocities were higher in obese individuals than normal weight group (p < 0.01). In contrast, mitral A velocities were lower (p =0.03); consequently, E\A and E'\A' ratios were lower (both p = 0.01) in the obese group with respect to normal weight group. When the correction of entire variations existing among the groups were performed using multivariate linear regressions analyses, it turned out that BMI was independently associated with E/A (β = -0.19, p = 0.044) and with E'/A' (β = -0.016, p = 0.021). Ejection fraction, wall motion score index and myocardial S velocities were comparable among the study groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: These results suggest that while obesity has no adverse effect on the left ventricular systolic function, it has unfavorable consequences on the left ventricular diastolic function in the patients with first STEMI. In contrast, no unfavorable effects of overweight on the left ventricular systolic and diastolic function were detected.