Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCross-sectional study

Disentangling the Impact of Adiposity From Insulin Resistance in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

J Am Coll CardiolPublished

  • Cross-sectional study
  • independent validation cohort

Authors' conclusion

Although excess body fat is associated with IR and diabetes, cardiac remodeling, hemodynamics, and functional impairment are independently correlated with body fat, but not IR.

Study context

Population
PVDOMICS participants with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)replication cohort n = 254
Participants
276 participants
Exposure
Obesity vs no obesity; Insulin resistance (IR) vs no IR; diabetes vs no diabetes
  • Obesityn = 166
  • BMI <30 kg/m²n = 110reference
Outcome
Rest and exercise PCWP by obesity, IR (HOMA-IR ≥2.6) and diabetes

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Rest and exercise PCWP
Obesity
difference +4.4 mm Hg (95% CI +2.5 to +6.4); P < 0.0001
Obesity · adjusted for HOMA-IR
difference +4.7 mm Hg (95% CI +2.7 to +6.7); P < 0.0001
HOMA-IR
association +0.01 mm Hg (95% CI −0.13 to +0.16); P = 0.84
Greater fat mass, BMI and waist circumference associated with higher pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) at rest and exercise
P < 0.0009

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

OutcomeObesityBMI <30 kg/m²association (mm Hg per kg/m²) (95% CI)P value
Prevalence of adiposity, IR and diabetes
IR114 (69%)44 (40%)
Diabetes75 (45%)27 (25%)
Replication cohort: rest and exercise PCWP · diabetes not associated+0.19 (+0.11 to +0.27)P < 0.0001
Prevalence of adiposity, IR and diabetes — Increased waist/height ratio
246 (89%)
  • Prevalence of adiposity, IR and diabetes: both P < 0.0001 vs obesity phenotype

Remodeling, exercise performance, quality of life by obesity

Obesity (regardless of IR) associated with greater biventricular enlargement, worse exercise performance, poorer quality of life, higher rest and exercise PCWP
P < 0.01

Original publication

Disentangling the Impact of Adiposity From Insulin Resistance in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published 13 May 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2025.03.530

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it