Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Abstract

Background: Diastolic dysfunction has been described as an early sign of diabetic heart muscle disease preceding the systolic damage. The pathogenesis of ventricular dysfunction remains unknown and has been somewhat controversial. So far, very few population-based studies have been carried out in India, to demonstrate the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction in diabetic subjects. Hence the present study was done at our tertiary care centre to detect left diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic type 2 diabetes individuals and to use echo-cardiologic assessment as an early detector of left diastolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to detect left diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic type 2 diabetes individuals and to use echocardiologic assessment as an early detector of left diastolic dysfunction.Methods: A hospital based cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 50 patients for echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. E/A <1 and increase in LA size was considered as the evidence of left ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction.Results: 15 (30%) patients were detected with Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction (LVDD) among the 50 patients under study.Conclusions: Diastolic dysfunction in patients with diabetes is present in 30% of patients even when diabetes is present at a younger age, and is of a shorter duration. This dysfunction is suggestive of pre-clinical diabetic cardiomyopathy. E/A, DT and peak A velocity are sensitive indices of diastolic LV dysfunction. Thus, diastolic dysfunction can be used as an early indicator, as it is a precursor to increased LV hypertrophy and clinical left ventricular dysfunction.