Echocardiographic Comparison of Myocardial Performance between Obese and Normal Weight Children and Adolescents

Obesity prevalence has increased alarmingly in recent decades as a result of lifestyle changes. Obesity can have adverse effects during childhood and adolescence, which often persist into adulthood. Some studies have shown that echocardiographic findings are associated with obesity, accompanied by an increase in the left ventricle's size, diameter, and weight. This study compared Tissue Doppler and Pulse Doppler echocardiographic changes between obese and normal weight children and adolescents. In 2021, this research was conducted on 66 children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 in Birjand. It included 33 individuals, comprising 25 boys and 8 girls, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 95, classified as the obese group, and 33 individuals, comprising 21 boys and 12 girls with a BMI between 10 and 85, ranked as the control group. The two groups' parameters were measured using Tissue Doppler Index (echocardiography), and the data was analyzed using SPSS version 16 at a significance level of less than 0.05. The obese and normal weight groups had average ages of 12.84±1.92 and 12.87±2.87, respectively. In the obese group, the average BMI was 28.52±4.3, while in the control group, it was 16.55±2.21. The average EF (Ejection Fraction) in the obese group was 247.13±32.44, and in the control group, it was 249.6±24.68.In the obese group, the mean values of the parameters S´, A', and A were 12.91±2.63, 12.61±2.75 and 74.83±16.75, while in the control group, they were 11.47±2.66, 10.28±2.72, and 63.21±15.41. The obese group had substantially higher values compared to the control group (P<0.05). The mean values of IVRT, IVCT, MPI, E', and E were more significant in the obese group than in the control group, whereas ET and E/A were more significant in the control group. These differences, however, were not statistically significant. The significant increase in diastolic dysfunction parameters, including A' and E'/A', in the obese group may indicate a severe type of LV Compliance Decrease.