Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jul 1;36(4):453-460.
doi: 10.1097/HCO.0000000000000868.

Interactions of hypertension, obesity, left ventricular hypertrophy, and heart failure

Adrian daSilva-deAbreu  1   2 , Bader Aldeen Alhafez  3 , Carl J Lavie  1   2 , Richard V Milani  1   2 , Hector O Ventura  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Interactions of hypertension, obesity, left ventricular hypertrophy, and heart failure

Adrian daSilva-deAbreu et al. Curr Opin Cardiol. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: Hypertension (HTN) and obesity are major risk factors for cardiac remodeling and dysfunction, leading to left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and heart failure (HF). In this review, we discuss the complex mechanisms and effects of HTN and obesity, and their treatments in LVH, ventricular function, and HF.

Recent findings: Obesity and HTN impact the heart through overlapping neurohormonal pathways. However, the relationship between obesity and cardiomyopathy is more complex, and additional metabolic and hemodynamic pathways seem to contribute to cardiac dysfunction in these patients. Weight loss and blood pressure (BP) control help to prevent and reverse at least some of the damage caused by obesity and HTN even beyond what would be expected from solely the hemodynamic changes.

Summary: Obesity and HTN cause maladaptive changes in the heart that can lead to LVH and HF. Weight loss and BP control help to, at least partially, reverse some of these changes and improve clinical outcomes in patients with HF.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Iacobellis G, Ribaudo MC, Leto G, et al. Influence of excess fat on cardiac morphology and function: study in uncomplicated obesity. Obes Res 2002; 10:767–773.
    1. Alpert MA, Terry BE, Kelly DL. Effect of weight loss on cardiac chamber size, wall thickness and left ventricular function in morbid obesity. Am J Cardiol 1985; 55:783–786.
    1. Alpert MA, Terry BE, Mulekar M, et al. Cardiac morphology and left ventricular function in normotensive morbidly obese patients with and without congestive heart failure, and effect of weight loss. Am J Cardiol 1997; 80:736–740.
    1. Alpert MA, Lambert CR, Terry BE, et al. Effect of weight loss on left ventricular mass in nonhypertensive morbidly obese patients. Am J Cardiol 1994; 73:918–921.
    1. Alpert MA, Karthikeyan K, Abdullah O, et al. Obesity and cardiac remodeling in adults: mechanisms and clinical implications. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2018; 61:114–123.