J Cardiol. 2007 Aug;50(2):141-8. [Combined therapy with weight loss and amiodarone improved cardiac function in a patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy complicated with severe obesity: a case report]Tanaka H, Kawano S, Kozai T, Urabe Y. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of development of chronic heart failure, but recent epidemiological studies indicate that a higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with a better survival rate. This is described as the 'obesity paradox' or 'reverse epidemiology'. A 42-year-old male was admitted because of recurrent episodes of decompensated heart failure, and the diagnosis was idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy complicated with severe obesity (BMI 46.0), nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, and central type sleep apnea syndrome. Combined therapy with weight loss (BMI 46.0 to 30.8) and amiodarone (200 mg/day) was instituted in addition to the previous regimen including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, beta blocker, diuretics and pimobendan, improved cardiac function, exercise tolerance, and cardiac sympathetic nerve activity evaluated by cardiac 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy. Furthermore, we succeeded in uptitration of carvedilol(5 to 10mg/day). This case highlights the possible beneficial effect of weight loss in patients with chronic heart failure complicated with obesity, and the resultant improvement of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity suggests that weight loss may partially mimic beta blocker effects in patients with systolic heart failure.
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