Abstract 11916: Association of Obesity in Early Adulthood with Myocardial Shortening over a 25-year Follow-up Period: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Abstract

Background: The association of obesity with subclinical cardiac dysfunction is unclear. Longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain values have been validated for measurement of early subclinical systolic dysfunction by assessing myocardial deformation. We investigate how body mass index (BMI) and its 25 year change relate to left ventricular (LV) systolic strain measurements.

Methods: Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) is a prospective study that enrolled African-American and White adults from 4 US centers in 1985-1986 (baseline). We included participants with data at both baseline and the Year-25 (Y25) exam, excluding those with pregnancy and previous heart disease. Cardiac deformation at the Y25 exam was assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), computing longitudinal, circumferential, and radial peak systolic strains (PSS). Linear regression models were used to investigate the association of BMI with LV deformation, adjusting for baseline traditional risk factors (TRF) and their 25-year changes: race, gender, age, diabetes, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), LDL-cholesterol (c), HDL-c, heart rate (HR), activity score, alcohol use, using hypertensive medication, and amount of tobacco.

Results: A total of 1,613 participants (45% males; 46% African-American) were included. The mean±standard deviation values for BMI were 24±4kg/m² at baseline and the average change in 25 years was BMI 5±5kg/m². In multivariable models adjusted for TRF, higher BMI was associated with less/worse longitudinal and circumferential systolic strain 25 year later and increased BMI over a 25 year follow-up period was associated with less/worse longitudinal strain, but neither BMI nor its change related to radial strain.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that obesity in early adulthood is related to subclinical myocardial dysfunction at age 43 to 55 years.