The Effect of Obesity and Weight Loss in Heart Failure
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Effects of Obesity and Weight Loss in Heart Failure: Investigating the Obesity Paradox with Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy
IRAS ID
161729
Contact name
Jenny Rayner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Heart failure is the term used when the strength of the pumping function of the heart is impaired, resulting in reduced blood and oxygen supply to other parts of the body. This leads to symptoms including fatigue and breathlessness, as well as reduced life expectancy. There are various different causes of heart failure but it is known that obesity is an independent risk factor for developing the disease. Both heart failure and obesity are growing problems with significant impact on patients' quality of life and prognosis.
However, surprisingly, patients with heart failure who are overweight live longer - this is termed the 'obesity paradox'. The reasons for this are not well understood and this study will investigate this in more detail. We will use magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a novel and exciting technique, to assess the way in which the heart muscle uses energy and see if this is altered in obesity. We will also use magnetic resonance imaging to study the structure and function of the heart muscle in detail and observe any differences in obese patients.
It is known that weight loss in obese patients improves the thickness of the heart muscle, but it is unclear as to whether it improves the strength of the heart pump. We will assess the effects of weight loss on the strength and structure of the heart, the patient's symptoms and the energy-handling capacity of the heart muscle using the techniques mentioned above.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SC/0004
Date of REC Opinion
21 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion