Effects of a short-term hypoenergetic diet on morphofunctional left ventricular parameters in centrally obese subjects - An echocardiographic study

Background, We aimed to study centrally obese subjects without other diseas es, to establish whether a short-term hypoenergetic balanced regimen is abl e to positively modify left ventricular (LV) patterns. Methods. We studied 32 obese subjects (out of 52 recruited for this study) with central fat distribution and without associated diseases. Each subject had undergone a moderately hypoenergetic diet for a four-month follow-up p eriod and had a regular loss in weight. Some relevant clinical and echocard iographic parameters mere evaluated, Baseline data and those evaluated at t he end of the follow-up period were used for outcome analysis, Results. We found a considerable reduction in LV mass and other LV structur al parameters including relative wall thickness (RWT), Moreover, we found a n improvement of both LV ejection fraction and filling parameters. As regar ds the relation ship between parameter changes, LV mass was correlated to L V internal diameter and mainly to LV wall thickness. LV mass change was als o correlated to a reduction of diastolic BP and RWT. Only improvements in L V filling were correlated to WHR reduction. None of the changes in cardiac variables resulted significantly correlated to BMI change. Other interestin g correlations are reported in the text. Conclusions. Our study points out that improvements in LV structure and fun ction are rapidly possible with a moderately hypoenergetic regimen in obese otherwise healthy subjects. The main changes were those in LV wall thickne ss even if a more complex cardiovascular adjustment was recognised, All thi s could be very important to possibly prevent future cardiovascular events (including heart failure), so largely linked to obesity of central type.