Impact of Sex and Obesity on Echocardiographic Parameters in Children and Adolescents

AbstractSubclinical alterations in left ventricular structure and function are detectable in adolescents with hypertension or obesity. However, data on early echocardiographic abnormalities in seemingly healthy children are lacking. Sex differences in cardiac structure and function have been previously reported, but sex-specific reference values are not available. Specifically, the potential interaction of sex and overweight has not been addressed at all. Anthropometric data, blood pressure and exercise tests were obtained in 356 healthy children. Echocardiographic parameters comprised peak early (E) and late (A) mitral inflow Doppler velocities,E/A  ratio, tissue Doppler peak velocities of early (e′) and late diastolic (a′) excursion of mitral/septal annulus and isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT). Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and LVMIz-score were calculated. Interaction terms between BMI and sex and stratification by sex were used for analysis. We provide values for echocardiographic parameters for children of two age groups separated by BMI. Overweight/obese children had a significant higher LVMI, lowerE/A  ratio, higherE/e′ ratios and a longer IVRT. For a given BMI in the upper ranges we demonstrated a higher LVMI in girls than in boys, the IVRT extended significantly more in girls than in boys with increasing BMI. There are sex differences in structural and functional echocardiographic parameters in children and a dolescents. Our data not only confirms the...
Source: Mammalian Genome - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research