The left ventricular wall stress and diastolic elastance index in obese women assessed by echocardiography

The present study examines the effects of obesity on left ventricular (LV) biomechanics in obese women. Thirty-two women were evaluated: 12 were non-obese (body mass index BMI <; 30 kg/m²) and 20 were obese (BMI > 30 kg/m²); ten of which were hypertensive and ten were non-hypertensive. Left ventricular dimensions and systolic and diastolic functions were assessed by 2D echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging. In dilated cardiomyopathy, when end-systolic and diastolic volumes increase, the ventricle becomes dilated without compensatory thickening of the wall. Thus, we may investigate whether subjects with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) have distinct ventricular elastance compared with hypertensive and/or non-obese women. Finally, considering an ellipsoidal model of the left ventricle, the ventricular wall stress σ was computed using the wall thickness, and the minor and major semi-axis of the ellipsoid, measured at the end of systole. The results were significantly higher for the obese women. In this study, the ventricle was assumed as isotropic, although in hypertrophy this hypothesis can be unacceptable..