The effect of hyperlipidemia and body fat distribution on subclinical left ventricular function in obesity: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study

Abstract Background Obesity is often associated with multiple comorbidities. However, whether obese subjects with hyperlipidemia in the absence of other complications have worse cardiac indices than metabolically healthy obese subjects is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of hyperlipidemia on subclinical left ventricular (LV) function in obesity and to evaluate the association of cardiac parameters with body fat distribution. Materials and methods Ninety-two adults were recruited and divided into 3 groups: obesity with hyperlipidemia (n = 24, 14 males), obesity without hyperlipidemia (n = 25, 13 males), and c ntrols (n = 43, 25 males). LV strain parameters (peak strain (PS), peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR), peak systolic strain rate) derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance tissue tracking were measured and compared. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer was used to measure body fat distribution. Correlations of hyperlipidemia and body fat distribution with LV strain were assessed by multivariable linear regression. Results Obese individuals with preserved LV ejection fraction showed lower global LV longitudinal, circumferential, and radial PS and longitudinal and circumferential PDSR than controls (all P < 0.05). Among obese patients, those with hyperlipidemia had lower longitudinal PS and PDSR and circumferential PDSR than those without hyperlipidemia (− 12.8 ± 2.9% vs. − 14.2 ± 2.7%, 0.8 ± 0.1 s −1 vs. 0.9 ± 0.3 s −1 , 1.2 ± 0.2 s −1 vs. 1.4 ± 0.2 s −1 ; all P < 0.05). Multivariable linear regression demonstrated that hyperlipidemia was independently associated with circumferential PDSR (β = − 0.477, P < 0.05) in obesity after controlling for growth differences, other cardiovascular risk factors, and central fat distribution. In addition, android fat had an independently negative relationship with longitudinal and radial PS (β = − 0.486 and β = − 0.408, respectively; all P < 0.05); and visceral fat was negatively associated with longitudinal PDSR (β = − 0.563, P < 0.05). Differently, gynoid fat was positively correlated with circumferential PS and PDSR and radial PDSR (β = 0.490, β = 0.481, and β = 0.413, respectively; all P < 0.05). Conclusion Hyperlipidemia is independently associated with subclinical LV diastolic dysfunction in obesity. Central fat distribution (android and visceral fat) has a negative association, while peripheral fat distribution (gynoid fat) has a positive association on subclinical LV function. These results suggest that appropriate management of hyperlipidemia may be beneficial for obese patients, and that the differentiation of fat distribution in different regions may facilitate the precise management of obese patients. Clinical trials registration Effect of lifestyle intervention on metabolism of obese patients based on smart phone software (ChiCTR1900026476).