[Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings in children with overweight and obesity]. / Trastornos electrocardiográficos y ecocardiográficos en niños con sobrepeso y obesidad.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Obesity is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and heart failure. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty children with overweight or obesity were matched with 30 healthy children. Corrected QT interval (QTc) and QT dispersion (QTd), left ventricular mass, left ventricular mass index, fractional shortening and fractional ejection, were measured. RESULTS: QTc and QTd were significantly greater in patients with overweight or obesity than in the control group. Left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index were significantly higher in overweight or obese children than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: Children with overweight-obesity have an increase of corrected QT and QT interval dispersion and of the volume and mass of the left ventricle and a greater risk of arrhythmia, in relation to controls. These results make consider the need for a special cardiac monitoring of obese children, especially in the severe forms.