Left ventricular function response to exercise in normotensive obese subjects: influence of degree and duration of obesity

This study has been designed to evaluate whether duration and severity of obesity can influence left ventricular function response to exercise in obese subjects without other known cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or hyperlipoproteinemia. A total of 29 obese subjects were included and they were divided, according to their body mass index and to Garrow's criteria as follows: Overweight or mildly obese subjects: body mass index from 25 to 30 kg/m2; moderately obese subjects: body mass index30 and40 kg/m2. Both obese groups were further subdivided according to their duration of obesity evaluated by accurate anamnesis in subgroup A (duration of obesity less than 120 mo…