Cardiovascular Imaging in Obesity

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 13; no. 3; p. 744
• Main Authors: Mavrogeni, Sophie I., Bacopoulou, Flora, Markousis-Mavrogenis, George, Chrousos, George, Charmandari, Evangelia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26.02.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Acoustics; Adolescent; Adult; angiography; Asymptomatic; Blood pressure; Body mass index; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiac Imaging Techniques - methods; Cardiology; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Child; computed tomography; Coronary Angiography - methods; coronary disease; Diabetes; echocardiography; Echocardiography - methods; Female; fibrosis; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Humans; Hypertension; hypertrophy; Insulin resistance; Magnetic Resonance Angiography - methods; magnetism; Male; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Mortality; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - diagnostic imaging; Overweight; Pediatric Obesity - complications; Pediatric Obesity - diagnostic imaging; Public health; Radiation; Review; risk; Risk Assessment - methods; Sleep apnea; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Young Adult; coronary artery computed tomography; cardiovascular magnetic resonance; nuclear cardiology; obesity; echocardiography
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13030744

Obesity represents one of the most challenging public health problems of our century. It accounts for approximately 5% of deaths worldwide, mostly owing to cardiovascular disease and its associated complications. Cardiovascular noninvasive imaging may provide early accurate information about hypertrophy and ischemia/fibrosis in obese subjects. Echocardiography and nuclear cardiology have serious limitations in obese subjects owing to poor acoustic window and attenuation artifacts, respectively. Coronary computed tomography angiography can provide information about obstructive coronary disease; however, the use of radiation is a serious disadvantage. Finally, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) holds the promise of an “all in one” examination by combining evaluation of function, wall motion/thickness, stress rest/perfusion, replacement and diffuse fibrosis without radiation. Future studies are required to document the cost/benefit ratio of the CMR in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk in overweight/obese children and adolescents.