Do diabetes, metabolic syndrome or their association equally affect biventricular function? A tissue Doppler study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Metabolic Diseases
• Echocardiography

Background:

• Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are linked to heart failure (HF).
• The specific impact of MetS and T2DM, individually and combined, on biventricular function requires clarification.
• Biventricular dysfunction is a precursor to heart failure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of MetS and T2DM on left and right ventricular function.
• To compare the impact of MetS alone, T2DM alone, and their coexistence on biventricular function.
• To identify factors associated with biventricular dysfunction in patients with MetS and T2DM.

Main Methods:

• 345 patients without cardiovascular disease underwent echocardiography and blood tests.
• Patients were stratified into: healthy controls, MetS without T2DM, T2DM without MetS, and MetS+T2DM.
• Biventricular function assessed using myocardial performance index (MPI) derived from tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).

Main Results:

• MetS and T2DM independently impaired biventricular function compared to controls.
• Patients with both MetS and T2DM exhibited the most significant biventricular dysfunction.
• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) showed the strongest association with impaired MPI.

Conclusions:

• MetS and T2DM have comparable independent associations with biventricular dysfunction.
• The coexistence of MetS and T2DM presents the highest risk for cardiac organ damage.
• Aggressive therapeutic strategies are needed to prevent heart failure in these high-risk patients.