Background: Being overweight is the main risk factor for many chronic disorders, especially cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension is the first reaction of the heart to overburdens imposed by obesity or overweightness. In this study, we evaluated the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and echocardiographic findings in overweight patients compared to normal-weight patients. Methods: This historical cohort study was conducted on 60 patients divided into two groups of 30 based on their measured weight: group 1 had a BMI of 20-25 kg/m 2 and was the control; group 2 had a BMI of >25-30 kg/m 2 . Demographic and clinical data, as well as echocardiographic results, were recorded for all patients. Results: The mean age of patients in the control group (41.06 ± 12.82 years) and the overweight group (46.84 ± 12.61 years) was not significantly different (P = 0.067). Systolic blood pressure (P = 0.003) and pulse rate (P = 0.028) were significantly higher in the overweight group. Ejection fraction (P = 0.036); end-systolic (P < 0.001) and end-diastolic (P < 0.001) left ventricular dimensions; and left ventricular mass index (P = 0.005) were significantly higher in the control group. Conclusion: Overweightness due to anatomical remodeling can cause diastolic heart failure in the left ventricle. According to the relatively poor prognosis of treatment features in patients with probable risk factors for heart failure, such as diabetes, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease, we recommend considering overweightness as a strong prognostic factor for heart failure.

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the most common heart diseases. Interventricular conduction disorders are complications of acute myocardial infarctions and have different types, such as left and right bundle branch blocks and left anterior and posterior hemiblocks. The prognosis of this disease can affect therapeutic methods, duration of hospitalization, and timely intervention decisions. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the relationship between interventricular conduction disorders and the prognosis of patients with ACS.Methods: Using the convenience sampling method, this analytical case-control study was conducted on 140 patients with ACS (61 patients in the case group and 79 patients in the control group) who were treated from March to August 2013. The underlying variables of the risk factors for ACS were evaluated, along with prognostic evaluation factors, in two groups: a case group (patients with interventricular conduction disorders) and a control group (patients without interventricular conduction disorders). Data were analyzed with SPSS v. 17 software using the chi-squared test, the analysis of variance test, Student’s t-test, and Fisher’s exact test. Results: The mean age of patients was 64.1 ± 5.8 years in the case group and 62.9 ± 8.8 years in the control group. No significant relationship was observed between ACS risk factors, such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, previous myocardial infarction, and smoking, and the prognosis of patients with ACS. The mean ejection fraction was 39.7 in the case group and 45.1 in the control group, so a significant relationship existed between the two groups (P<0.05). In addition, systolic heart failure was more common in the case group than in the control group.Conclusion: We found that the presence of auscultation (rales sound) and shortness of breath on the first day of hospital admission in the case group was significantly different from the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the ejection fraction in the case group was lower than in the control group, and the frequency of mitral regurgitation in the case group was higher than in the control group. These factors can effectively predict the prognosis of patients with ACS. Finally, we found that interventricular conduction disorders weakened the prognosis of patients with ACS.