Small Weight Increase Linked to Abnormal Cardiac Remodeling

Weight gain was associated with cardiac remodeling in healthy participants, according to the findings of a recent study.

The study included 1262 participants without cardiovascular disease or left ventricular dysfunction enrolled in the Dallas Heart Study, of whom 57% were women, 44% were black, 36% had obesity, and the mean age was 44 years. Participants underwent assessments of body weight, anthropometrics, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and 7 years later.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Weight Gain in Early Life Increases Later Chronic Disease Risk
Weight Loss Influenced by Timing of Meals
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Changes in indices of generalized and central adiposity and changes in left ventricular mass, volume, mass/volume ratio (concentricity), wall thickness, and ejection fraction were assessed to determine the associations between adiposity and cardiac structure and function.

At follow-up, 41% of participants experienced weight gain of 5% or more, and 15% experienced weight loss of 5% or more. Those who gained more weight were more likely to be younger, have a lower risk factor burden, and lower body mass index at baseline.

Increases in weight were associated with increases in left ventricular mass, wall thickness, and concentricity, with modest effects on end-diastolic volume and ejection fraction after adjustments for age, sex, race, comorbid conditions at baseline and follow-up, baseline adiposity, and baseline cardiac measurements. Analyses of other adiposity indices showed similar results.

In addition, any amount of weight loss was associated with decreases in concentricity and a general decrease in LV mass over time, which lessened in magnitude among participants with minimal changes in weight or who gained weight.

“Concentric left ventricular remodeling is the predominant phenotype linked to increasing adiposity in middle age,” the researchers concluded. “Our findings support the importance of weight management to prevent secular changes in adiposity, concentric remodeling, and eventual heart failure over time.”

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Wilner B, Garg S, Ayers CR, et al. Dynamic relation of changes in weight and indices of fat distribution with cardiac structure and function: the Dallas Heart Study [published online July 19, 2017]. J Am Heart Assoc. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.117.005897.