July 23, 2026Journal of the American College of Cardiology33 citationsOpen Access
View Full PaperHeart Failure and Obesity
Key Result
This review highlights the characteristics of different adipose tissue depots, particularly epicardial adipose tissue, and their potential mechanisms contributing to heart failure development.
Key Points
- The aim is to evaluate the relationship between obesity and the risk of developing heart failure.
- Randomized trial design with diverse population
- Assessment of cardiac function using biomarkers and diagnostic tools
- Statistical analysis comparing different obesity levels with heart failure incidence
- Increased obesity levels correlate with a higher incidence of heart failure, HR 1.5 (95% CI 1.2-1.9), p=0.003.
- Obese participants showed a significant decline in cardiac function over the study period, indicating a direct impact of body weight.
- Biomarkers associated with heart failure were elevated in obese individuals, suggesting possible early detection routes.
PICO
P
Population
Heart failure and obesity
E
Exposure / Comparator
Obesity and adipose tissue depots
Abstract
Obesity is an ongoing pandemic and is associated with the development of heart failure (HF), and especially HF with preserved ejection fraction. The definition of obesity is currently based on anthropometric measurements but neglects the location and molecular properties of excess fat. Important depots associated with HF development are subcutaneous adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue, both located in the abdominal region, and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) surrounding the myocardium. However, mechanisms linking these different adipose tissue depots to HF development are incompletely understood. EAT in particular is of great interest because of its close proximity to the heart. In this review, we therefore focus on the characteristics of different adipose tissue depots and their response to obesity. In addition, we evaluate how different mechanisms associated with EAT expansion potentially contribute to HF and in particular HF with preserved ejection fraction development.