Original article
Left atrial diameters in overweight children with normal blood pressure

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.10.042Get rights and content

Objective

To measure left atrial (LA) diameter in normotensive, overweight children and to determine the variables that independently influence LA diameters.

Study design

A cross-sectional study on 22 overweight children (age, 13.40 ± 1.22 years) and 18 control children (age, 13.40 ± 2.19 years) was performed. LA diameter, left ventricular (LV) geometry, and LV systolic/diastolic function were measured through echocardiography. Data were compared between the two groups. Multiple regression analysis, with LA diameter as dependent variable, was conducted.

Results

In the overweight group, LV diastolic dimension, LV mass index, peak S, S/D ratio, Am, maximal LA diameter (34.1 mm vs 25.4 mm), middle LA diameter (26.9 mm vs 18.1 mm), and minimal LA diameter (22.5 mm vs 16.1 mm) were increased and Em/Am ratio was decreased. In multiple regression analysis, body mass index (R2 = 0.7040, 0.7085, 0.7406 in respective maximal, middle, and minimal LA diameter) and systolic blood pressure (R2 = 0.0540, 0.0477, 0.030 in respective maximal, middle, and minimal LA diameter) were significant independent correlates of all three measures of LA diameter.

Conclusions

LA diameter in normotensive overweight children is increased. Body mass index and systolic blood pressure were significant correlates of LA diameter.

Section snippets

Subjects

The children who volunteered for the study were all over 10 years old. They either had participated in the Obesity Camp for Adolescents in 2004 offered by the Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, or were friends of the camp participants or children of the hospital staff. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of all children. Any systemic disease or medication history was ruled out by history and physical examination. After the children

Results

Clinical characteristics were not different, other than the weight and BMI, between the overweight group and the normal-weight group (Table I). The results of echocardiographic measurement are shown in Table II. LV geometry and systolic function, LVDd, diastolic interventricular septal thickness, and LVMI were significantly increased in the overweight group. In total, there were 5 cases of eccentric hypertrophy, 1 case of concentric hypertrophy, and 3 cases of concentric remodeling. Among the 3

Discussion

In the evaluation of diastolic function, the tissue Doppler test showed a difference between the two groups, whereas the mitral valve inflow Doppler tests displayed none. These results are similar to those of the study by Mehta et al,16 which examined the diastolic function of obese children with the average age of 14.4 years. In this study, peak E velocity was higher in the overweight group, which opposes previous results of studies for cardiac diastolic function in obese adults17, 18;

References (21)

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