Evaluation of epicardial adipose tissue, carotid intima-media thickness and ventricular functions in obese children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND

Childhood obesity is a cardiovascular risk factor.

OBJECTIVE

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and cardiac functions of obese children and their correlations were evaluated.

SUBJECTS

Five hundred obese children and 150 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

METHODS

Anthropometric, laboratory data and echocardiographic measurements of IMT, EAT and cardiac functions were determined.

RESULTS

Increased M-mode echocardiographic measurements, E/e' ratios, Tei index values and decreased E/A and e'/a' ratios (where E and A are early and late mitral/tricuspid diastolic velocities, respectively, and e' and a' are peak early diastolic and peak atrial systolic myocardial velocities, respectively), were determined in the obese group. Also, carotid artery IMT and EAT thickness were significantly higher in obese children. Carotid artery IMT, EAT thickness and left ventricular mass (LVM) were found to be strongly associated with Tei index values.

CONCLUSION

Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In our study, we showed that obese children have early subclinical systolic and diastolic dysfunctions. Also, these cardiac impairments are correlated with the increase in IMT, EAT thickness and LVM.