Body Mass Index, Left Ventricular Wall Stress, and NT-proBNP in Elderly Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Obesity is a major risk factor for heart failure (HF). Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are cardioprotective hormones released in response to left ventricular (LV) wall stress (WS). Paradoxically, body mass index (BMI) and NP levels are inversely related, suggesting that the associations between BMI, WS, and NPs are not fully understood, particularly among individuals without HF.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that WS mediates, in part, the relationship between BMI and NP levels.

Methods

In 4,444 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants without HF who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (median 75 years, BMI 27.7 kg/m², 58% women, 18% Black), LV end-diastolic and end-systolic WS (DWS, SWS) were calcul

SUBMITTER: White A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12859251 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature