[Left ventricular function in young type I diabetic patients. A Doppler echocardiography study]

Systolic and diastolic left ventricular function was assessed by M-mode and pulsed Doppler echocardiography in 10 young type I diabetic patients without late complications and maximal diabetes duration of 5 years and in 10 healthy persons. Fractional shortening, a measure of systolic ventricular function, was significantly lower in diabetics than in controls (33.9 +/- 2.9 vs. 37.9 +/- 4.9; p less than 0.05). Fractional shortening decreased significantly with advancing diabetes duration (R = -0.819; p less than 0.01). Indexes of diastolic ventricular function (isovolumetric relaxation period and transmitral flow velocity pattern) were not significantly different in the two groups, but 3 patients had 1 parameter (3x isovolumetric relaxation period) and another patient had 2 parameters (isovolumetric relaxation period and early diastolic peak velocity E-E') outside the normal range. Follow-up studies should define the clinical significance of these alterations of systolic and diastolic left ventricular function.