Weight Loss & Electrocardiograms
Weight Loss Study Aim
Controversial data exist on the effect of obesity and weight reduction
on surface electrocardiographic parameters. The purpose of this study
was to analyze electrocardiograms of obese children in the course of short-term
weight reduction. DESIGN: Prospective trial over a period of three weeks
with a conventional low calorie diet containing a mean of 525 +/- 109
kcal. Subjects included thirty-three children, 17 girls and 16 boys with
a mean age of 12.2 years and an overweight of 25.4-102 percent, mean 54.2
+/- 15.6 percent. Before the onset of therapy and thereafter, body weight,
blood chemistry and 12 lead electrocardiographic evaluations were performed.
Weight Loss Study Results
The mean loss of body weight was 5.7 +/- 1.6 kg resulting in a mean decrease
in overweight of 13.5 +/- 3.4 percent. Blood chemistry analyses revealed
no significant changes except for cholesterol, triglycerides and uric
acid. All electrocardiograms were within normal limits, however, a change
in the electrocardiographic pattern was noted after weight loss. Heart
rate (84 +/- 14 vs 64 +/- 11 beats per min,) and QT interval (418 +/-
20 msec vs 391 +/- 22 msec,) decreased and there was a tendency towards
a rightward shift of the frontal plane QRS axis and a leftward shift of
the horizontal plane QRS axis.
Weight Loss Study Conclusion
Weight reduction in obese children and adolescents is associated with
significant changes in the electrocardiographic pattern. These changes
may only be detected by intraindividual comparison. Reduction of heart
rate and shortening of the QT interval in the course of weight reduction
may be of clinical significance by reducing the cardiovascular risk profile,
including the risk of potentially fatal arrhythmias in obese subjects.
Source: Pidlich J, Pfeffel F, Zwiauer K,
Schneider B, Schmidinger H. Department of Gastroenterology-Hepatology,
University of Vienna, St Polten, Austria. 1997
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