Reducing Cardiac Steatosis: Interventions to Improve Diastolic Function: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Heart failure is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality around the globe. Heart fail-ure with preserved ejection fraction is primarily caused by diastolic dysfunction. Adipose tissue deposi-tion in the heart has been previously explained in the pathogenesis of diastolic dysfunction. In this article, we aim to discuss the potential interventions that can reduce the risk of diastolic dysfunction by reducing cardiac adipose tissue. A healthy diet with reduced die-tary fat content can reduce visceral adiposity and improve diastolic function. Aerobic and resistance exercises also reduce visceral and epicardial fat and ameliorate diastolic dysfunction. Some medications, include metformin, glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues,dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, sodium-glucose co-transporter-2, inhibitors, statins, ACE-Is, and ARBs, have shown different degrees of effectiveness in improving cardiac steatosis and dia-stolic function. Bariatric surgery has also shown prom-ising results in this field. (Curr Probl Cardiol 2023;48:101739.)