Dr. Nitin Kapoor and Dr. Sanjay Kalra

Obesity is a long-term disease with many causes, such as lifestyle habits, environmental factors, and genetics. Beyond its well-known link to cardiovascular disease, obesity may also affect the hearts electrical activity even before clinical illness becomes apparent.

This study looked at 193 healthy adults aged 40 years or younger. None had known heart disease or symptoms. Participants were grouped as normal weight, overweight, or obese based on body mass index (BMI). All underwent a standard ECG and heart rhythm monitoring.

Fragmented QRS (fQRS) patterns were seen much more often in obese individuals. BMI showed a good ability to predict the presence of fQRS, with a cut-off near 27 kg/m². Average heart rate and arrhythmias did not differ between the groups.

Importantly, fQRSwas linked to higher BMI, lower ejection fraction, larger left atrial size, and thicker heart muscle. These findings suggest early, hidden changes in the hearts of young people with obesity.

Overall, fQRS may be a simple, non-invasive ECG marker of early cardiac involvement and cardiometabolic risk. Even in young adults without symptoms, obesity may affect heart health.

Reference:
Şerifler NT, Altınsoy M, Kalaycı B, Erken H. Unmasking silent cardiometabolic risk: the role of fragmented QRS in obese young adults. BMC CardiovascDisord. 2026;26(1):122. doi:10.1186/s12872-026-05506-4
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41514205/