Impact of Adolescent's Obesity in Cardiac Function: An Association of Cardiac Structural and Metabolic Risk Factors with Physical Fitness

Background Elderly obese results metabolic, cardiac structural and functional derangements. However, such alterations including physical fitness in early age obesity are still controversial. Objective To evaluate physical fitness, cardiac structural, functional and metabolic remodeling and their association with obesity markers in adolescents. Method This cross-sectional comparative study included 90 adolescents with median age -14(2) years were grouped into Normal weight (NW) and Overweight/Obese (OW/OB) based on the BMI percentile for age and sex. International Diabetes Federation criteria for adolescents selected for lipid profiles, fasting sugar, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Echocardiographic standard 2-dimensional measurements for cardiac structures, percent ejection fraction (EF%) were performed with standard procedure. Physical fitness index (PFI) was graded using the modified Harvard step test. The data compared with Mann Whitney U test and Spearman's Rank correlation test used to find association among study variables. Result Compared to normal weight adolescents, overweight/obese individuals exhibited significantly higher cardiac function parameters, including heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Within the realm of cardio-metabolic parameters, it was observed that individuals exhibited diminished levels of high-density lipoproteins and elevated levels of low-density lipoproteins. Notably, these individuals manifested cardiac structural remodeling characterized by augmented left atrial wall and aortal base thickness, and increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, concomitant with a markedly decreased percentage of left ventricular ejection fraction. Cardiac structural and functional parameters revealed adverse correlation with obesity markers. Conclusion The onset of obesity in early age has been ascertained to exert profound ramifications, encompassing not solely metabolic and biochemical parameters, but also extending to the structural integrity of the cardiovascular system. These outcomes synergistically contribute to a notable attenuation in overall physical fitness.