Effect of Obesity on Electrocardiographic Parameters in Children: A Comparative Study

Obesity is becoming a global epidemic in both adults and children and is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide due to cardiovascular disease. Obesity is closely associated with wide variety of Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities including ischemic ECG observations.

Present study was designed to assess the ECG changes in obese asymptomatic male childrens and to compare with that of normal male children group.

Study was done in 50 apparently healthy obese male children between the age group of 5–18 years and 100 normal male children of the same age group.. A 12 lead ECG was recorded using computerized ECG machine and analysed for Heart rate, PR interval, QTc interval, QRS axis. Results were compared by Student's unpaired t test and analysed.

Results in this study showed ECG variations which include significant increase in heart rate, prolongation of QTc interval and leftward shift of QRS axis in obese children group compared to non obese children. There was significant increase in PR interval in obese children compared to non obese group. However all the changes in ECG observed were within normal limits.

Variety of ECG changes occur even in asymptomatic obese children and obesity increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases, these ECG changes with respect to the baseline values should be known as early as possible so that early interventional measures could be taken to decrease the future risk of cardiovascular diseases.