Obesity and hypertension independently promote pathological left ventricular remodelling (LVR) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), but to what extent they do so when they do not coexist is unclear. We used data from the Cardiovision Brno 2030 study to assess-for the first time in a region where no investigations have been previously carried out-the independent association of obesity and hypertension with LV geometry, and to evaluate the effects of hypertension in normal weight patients and the effects of obesity in normotensive patients. Overall, 433 individuals, aged 25⁻65 years, with no history of cardiovascular disease and/or antihypertensive treatment, were stratified into four groups according to BMI and hypertension: normal weight non-hypertensive (NWNH), normal weight hypertensive (NWH), overweight/obese non-hypertensive (ONH) and overweight/obese hypertensive (OH). LVR was classified as normal, concentric LVR (cLVR), concentric LVH (cLVH) or eccentric LVH (eLVH). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that body mass index (BMI) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) are the main predictors of LV mass and that they interact: SBP had a stronger effect in overweight/obese (β = 0.195; p = 0.033) compared to normal weight patients (β = 0.134; p = 0.048). Hypertension increased the odds of cLVR (OR = 1.78; 95%CI = 1.04⁻3.06; p = 0.037) and cLVH (OR = 8.20; 95% CI = 2.35⁻28.66; p = 0.001), independent of age, sex and BMI. Stratified analyses showed that NWH had a greater odd of cLVH (OR = 7.96; 95%CI = 1.70⁻37.08; p = 0.008) and cLVR (OR = 1.62; 95%CI = 1.02⁻3.34; p = 0.047) than NWNH. In the absence of hypertension, obesity was not associated with LVM and abnormal LV geometry, suggesting that it is not per se a determinant of LVR. Thus, antihypertensive therapy still remains the first-line approach against LVH in hypertensive patients, though weight loss interventions might be helpful in those who are obese.

Department for the Treatment and Study of Cardiothoracic Diseases and Cardiothoracic Transplantation IRCCS ISMETT 90127 Palermo Italy

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Division of Preventive Cardiology Mayo Clinic Rochester MN 55905 USA

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies GF Ingrassia University of Catania Via Santa Sofia 100 95123 Catania Italy

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies GF Ingrassia University of Catania Via Santa Sofia 100 95123 Catania Italy International Clinical Research Center St'Anne University Hospital 602 00 Brno Czech Republic

International Clinical Research Center St'Anne University Hospital 602 00 Brno Czech Republic

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