Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with incident chronic heart failure (CHF) but it is paradoxically associated with better prognosis. The objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between body mass index and HF in a Moroccan profil.

We enrolled 685 patients admitted to the Therapeutic Unit of Chronic Heart Failure (TUHF) from 2006 to 2013 as follow: under-weight (BMI<18.5kg/m², n=35), normal (18.5≤BMI<25, n=349), overweight (25≤BMI<30, n=200) and obese (BMI≥30, n=101) and compared the results from their clinical data, laboratory tests and echocardiography. The prevalence of obesity and overweight in CHF were 15 and 29% respectively.

Obese group had a higher prevalence of obesity-related comorbidity (hypertension: p=0.0001, diabetes mellitus: p=0.0001 and dyslipidemia: p=0.001). Age, Ischemic heart disease, strock attack, stage NYHA, heart rate, hospitaliszation rate for cardiac decompensation, left right ventricular systolic function did not differ among the groups. However male sex, anemia and diastolic dysfunction were higher in the underweight group than in the other groups (p<0.0001 and p=0.03 respectively).

High body mass index (overweigh and obesity) was frequent in chronic heart failure and it was not predictor of cardiac decompensations and hospitalizations. Furthermore, lower BMI was associated with diastolic dysfunction.