Obesity and Overweight Are Associated with Diastolic Dysfunction

Obesity is a risk factor for heart failure. To investigate whether this risk is mediated by diastolic dysfunction, U.S. researchers studied a population-based cohort of 950 patients (mean age, 72). Diastolic function was assessed by echocardiography.

The incidence of diastolic dysfunction was 51% in normal-weight patients, 54% in overweight patients (body-mass index [BMI], 25.0–29.9 kg/m²), and 57% in obese patients (BMI, >30); these differences were not significant. However, after adjustment for age and clinical risk factors, obesity (odds ratio, 1.6) and even overweight (OR, 1.5) were independent predictors of diastolic dysfunction. Conversely, mean left ventricular ejection fraction was actually slightly higher in the obese group than in …