The impact of body mass index on left ventricular mass index, right ventricular function, and cardiac dimension of children with sickle cell anemia in Enugu City

Background: Body mass index is a major determinant of cardiac annular valvar dimension and left ventricular mass index in children with sickle cell anemia. Objectives: The study is aimed at ascertaining the impact of Body Mass Index on Left ventricular mass index, right ventricular function and cardiac dimension of children with sickle cell anemia. Methods: A case control study in which echocardiographic measurement of cardiac function and structures were ascertained among children with sickle cell anemia compared with hemoglobin AA genotype. Results: There were 51 subjects and 50 controls. The subjects comprised 54.9% males and controls, 52.0% male. There was a strong positive correlation between BMI and most cardiac structure diameters among children with normal hemoglobin genotype (Pearson's correlation coefficient value, P