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Waist circumference to height ratio and left ventricular mass in children and adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

Sudhir Ken Mehta
Sudhir Ken Mehta*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Children’s, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
*
Correspondence to: S. K. Mehta, MD, MBA, Chairman of Pediatrics, Fairview Hospital, 18101 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44111-5656, United States of America. Tel: +216 476 7236; Fax: +216 476 7021; E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objectives

Waist circumference to height ratio, a measure of central obesity, is a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than body mass index in the paediatric population. Increased left ventricular mass secondary to obesity and hypertension increases the risk for death and cardiovascular disease in adults. Similar data on left ventricular mass are lacking among young patients with central obesity, as defined by waist circumference/height. The present study evaluates left ventricular mass in young patients with central obesity as defined by waist circumference/height.

Methods

A total of 156 patients, 2- to 20-years old, without evidence of structural heart disease were studied. As the left ventricular mass is related to age and gender, 52 patients with central obesity – waist circumference/height ⩾0.55 – were randomly matched for age and gender with 52 patients at risk for central obesity – waist circumference/height ⩾0.5 to <0.55 – and 52 patients with no central obesity – waist circumference/height <0.5. The left ventricular mass parameters measured by echocardiography were compared across the three groups.

Results

Patients with central obesity had significantly (p<0.05) increased Z scores for left ventricular mass, left ventricular mass/height2.7, and left ventricular mass/height1.7 compared with patients at risk for central obesity and patients with no central obesity. Z scores for left ventricular mass were higher among patients at risk for central obesity compared with patients with no central obesity.

Conclusions

Left ventricular mass data of the present study support maintaining an ideal waist circumference/height <0.5. Aggressive efforts to identify and manage patients with central obesity are warranted.

Keywords

Central obesityleft ventricular mass/Ht2.7left ventricular mass/Ht1.7Z score for left ventricular mass
Type
Original Articles
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 26 , Issue 4 , April 2016 , pp. 658 - 662
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2015 

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