Obesity is associated with an increased risk of heart failure. Little is known about the impact of dietary changes on the cardiac sequelae in obese patients. Twenty-one obese subjects underwent a 12-week low calorie fasting phase of a formula diet. Transthoracic two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography was performed to obtain systolic left ventricular strain before and after weight loss. Body mass index decreased significantly from38.6±6.2to31.5±5.3 kg/m2, and the total percentage fat loss was 19%. Weight reduction was associated with a reduction in blood pressure and heart rate. Left ventricular longitudinal global peak systolic strain was in the lower normal range (−18.7±3.2%) before weight loss and was unchanged (−18.8±2.4%) after 12 weeks on diet with substantial weight loss. Also, no significant change in global radial strain after weight loss was noted (41.1±22.0versus43.9±23.3,p=0.09). Left atrial and ventricular dimensions were in normal range before fasting and remained unchanged after weight loss. In our study obesity was associated with normal systolic left ventricular function. A 12-week low calorie diet with successful weight loss can reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Systolic left ventricular function and morphology were not affected by rapid weight reduction.
Systolic left ventricular function is preserved during therapeutic hypothermia, also during increases in heart rate with impaired diastolic filling