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Cardiac function and sympathetic activity in young diabetics.
S Ferraro1, S Fazio, M Santomauro
1Division of Cardioangiology, II Clinica Medica, Naples, Italy.
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Young adults with type 1 diabetes show enhanced cardiac function, specifically increased ejection and filling rates, despite normal echocardiograms. This suggests underlying sympathetic nervous system overactivity may influence heart performance in these individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Physiology
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes can affect cardiovascular health, even in young individuals without apparent complications.
- Assessing cardiac function early is crucial for managing long-term diabetic complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate systolic and diastolic cardiac function in young type 1 diabetics.
- To investigate the relationship between cardiac function, metabolic control, and sympathetic activity in this population.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography were used to assess cardiac function at rest and during exercise.
- Plasma catecholamine levels (norepinephrine and epinephrine) were measured.
- Participants included 13 young type 1 diabetics with good metabolic control and 10 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Echocardiographic data were similar between diabetics and controls.
- Radionuclide ventriculography revealed significantly increased peak ejection and peak filling rates in diabetics (P < 0.001).
- Diabetics exhibited higher plasma norepinephrine (P < 0.01) and epinephrine (P < 0.001) levels.
Conclusions:
- Young type 1 diabetics demonstrate augmented cardiac flow velocities, particularly peak ejection and filling rates.
- Elevated plasma catecholamines suggest sympathetic overactivity may contribute to these observed cardiac functional changes.
- These findings highlight potential subclinical cardiac adaptations in type 1 diabetes, possibly mediated by sympathetic nervous system activity.