An observational study in Obesity, Diastolic Dysfunction and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFPEF), sponsored by Itshak Amsalem. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-04.
Sponsored by Itshak Amsalem · Observational
The goal of this observational study is to learn if weight loss surgery can lower fat inside the heart muscle and improve how the heart relaxes in adults with obesity.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does fat inside the heart muscle decrease after weight loss surgery? Does heart relaxation (diastolic function) improve after surgery? Are changes in heart fat linked to changes in weight, body fat, and blood markers?
Participants who are already planning to have weight loss surgery will take part in this study.
Participants will:
Have a heart CT scan to measure fat in the heart muscle before surgery and about 6 months after surgery Have an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) to check how the heart fills and relaxes Have body composition testing to measure fat and muscle Have blood tests, including routine tests and additional markers related to heart function and metabolism
Researchers will compare each participant's results before and after surgery to see if heart fat decreases and if heart function and blood markers improve.
6,296 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 1,692 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 150 is above the median of 135 across 1,283 observational studies indexed under Obesity.
Browse Obesity studies →Itshak Amsalem is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Adults with obesity who are scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery for standard clinical care at a tertiary medical center. Participants will be recruited during their preoperative evaluation and will undergo baseline and follow-up assessments, including cardiac imaging and clinical measurements, as part of the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
Change in intramyocardial fat content assessed by cardiac CT
Change in intramyocardial fat quantified from cardiac computed tomography (CT) between baseline (pre-surgery) and 6 months after bariatric surgery
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months
Correlation coefficient between change in intramyocardial fat and change in diastolic function grade
Correlation coefficient (unitless) between change in intramyocardial fat, quantified by cardiac computed tomography (CT) as a percentage of myocardial volume, and change in diastolic function grade assessed by transthoracic echocardiography according to guideline-based criteria
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months
Change in diastolic function grade
Change in diastolic function grade assessed by transthoracic echocardiography according to standard guideline-based criteria (including parameters such as E/e', left atrial volume index, and other measures of left ventricular filling pressures) between baseline and 6 months
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months
Change in body composition
Change in total fat mass and lean body mass assessed by body composition analysis between baseline and 6 months
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months
Change in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)
Change in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration, measured in pg/mL using standard laboratory assays, between baseline and 6 months
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months
Change in pericardial fat volume
Change in pericardial fat volume quantified from cardiac computed tomography (CT) between baseline (pre-surgery) and 6 months after bariatric surgery
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months
Correlation coefficient between change in intramyocardial fat and change in body weight
Correlation coefficient (unitless) between change in intramyocardial fat, quantified by cardiac CT as a percentage of myocardial volume, and change in body weight measured in kilograms
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months
No study locations are listed for this record.
Plan to share: Undecided — Individual participant data (IPD) sharing is currently undecided. Any future data sharing will depend on institutional policies, ethical approvals, and applicable data protection regulations. If shared, only de-identified data will be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Itshak Amsalem