Understanding Obesity-Related High Output Heart Failure and Its Implications

Morbid obesity remains most common cause of high output failure. The prevalence of the obesity is growing when two-thirds of American adults already are overweight or obese. Obesity is the risk factor for heart disease and eventually leads to heart failure. High output heart failure is common in obese patients and is characterized by high cardiac output, decreased systemic vascular resistance, and increased oxygen consumption. It often occurs in patients with chronic severe anemia, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy, arterial-venous fistulas, and liver disease. However, the pathogenesis of obesity-related high output heart failure is not fully understood. The clinical management of obesity-related high output heart failure follows conventional heart failure regimens due to lack of specific clinical recommendations. This article reviews the possible pathophysiological mechanisms and causes that contribute to obesity-related high output heart failure. This review also focuses on the implications for clinical practice and future research involved with omics technologies to explore possible molecular pathways associated with obesity-related high output heart failure.