Obesity increases the risk for various cardiovascular problems. Increase in body mass index is often an independent risk factor for the development of elevated blood pressure and clustering of various cardiovascular risk factors.

To determine early markers of left ventricular affection in obese patients before the appearance of left ventricular hypertrophy.

In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 42 obese patients and 30 healthy controls. Their ages ranged from 6 to 19 years. Studied children were subjected to anthropometric, lipid profile, and serum Troponin I level measurements. Echocardiographic evaluation performed to assess the left ventricle included left ventricular dimension measurement using motion-mode echocardiography, based on which patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (10 patients) were eliminated, as well as conventional and tissue Doppler imaging.

Tissue Doppler findings in the study groups showed that the ratio of transmitral early diastolic filling velocity to septal peak early diastolic myocardial velocity (E/e′) was significantly higher in cases compared with controls [6.9±1.4 versus 9.0±1.6, p (Pearson’s coefficient)=0.001, respectively]. The level of cardiac troponin I was significantly higher in cases compared with controls [0.14±0.39 ng/ml versus 0.01±0.01 ng/ml, p (Pearson’s coefficient)=0.047, respectively] and there was a significant correlation between troponin I and transmitral early diastolic filling velocity to septal peak early diastolic myocardial velocity ratio (E/e′) [R (correlation coefficient)=0.6].

Tissue Doppler Imaging and Troponin I evaluation proved useful tools to detect early affection of the left ventricle in obese patients even in the absence of left ventricular hypertrophy.