Effect of weight loss on cardiac synchronization and proinflammatory cytokines in premenopausal obese women.

OBJECTIVE —Obesity is an important risk factor for heart failure in both women and men. Dyssynchrony between right and left ventricular contraction and relaxation has been identified as an independent predictor of heart failure. We examined the relationship of ventricular synchronization abnormalities with the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines in obese women at baseline and after sustained weight loss. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —Echocardiographic parameters of ventricular dyssynchrony, circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-18, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were investigated in 67 healthy, premenopausal obese women and 40 age-matched normal-weight women. RESULTS —Compared with nonobese women, obese women had increased concentrations of CRP ( P P P P P P P P P P CONCLUSIONS —In obese women, ventricular dyssynchrony correlates with body fat, possibly through inappropriate secretion of cytokines. Weight loss represents a safe method for downregulating the inflammatory state and ameliorating cardiac function in obese women.