AUTHOR=Paysal Justine , Merlin Etienne , Rochette Emmanuelle , Terral Daniel , Nottin Stéphane 

TITLE=Impact of BMI z-score on left ventricular mechanics in adolescent girls

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1165851

DOI=10.3389/fped.2023.1165851

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Adolescent weight disorders ranging from anorexia nervosa (AN) to obesity (OB) can impact the heart by causing opposite alterations in its morphology, suggesting a direct impact of body mass index (BMI) on the heart. Cardiac function is relatively preserved as assessed by standard echocardiography. However, few studies have used 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE), which can detect subtle alterations of left ventricular (LV) function by evaluating deformations. This study aimed to assess the link between the BMI <italic>z</italic>-score of adolescent girls and myocardial function.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Ninety-one adolescent girls comprising 26 AN patients (age 14.6 ± 1.9 years), 28 OB patients (age 13.2 ± 1.4 years), and 37 controls (age 14.0 ± 2.0 years) underwent 2D-STE to assess LV morphology and myocardial global and regional deformations.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The BMI <italic>z-</italic>score of our population ranged from −4.6 to 5.2. LV morphological remodeling was significantly and positively correlated with the BMI <italic>z</italic>-score (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.456, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001 for LV mass). Global longitudinal strain (LS) and regional LS recorded at the mid and apical levels were significantly correlated with the BMI <italic>z</italic>-score (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.196, <italic>p</italic> = 0.0001 and <italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.274, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001, respectively, for apical and medial LS). Circumferential strains and twisting mechanics were not correlated with the BMI <italic>z</italic>-score. Fibrinogen and systolic blood pressure were the main variables explaining the alteration of LS.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>We observed that the BMI <italic>z</italic>-score had an impact on LV mechanics, especially on medial and apical LS. Neither circumferential nor twisting mechanics were altered by the BMI <italic>z</italic>-score in adolescent girls.</p></sec>