Relationship between aortic stiffness and the left ventricular function in patients with prediabetes

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Diabetology
• Vascular Medicine

Background:

• Arterial stiffness and ventricular dysfunction are elevated in type 2 diabetes.
• Aortic stiffness (AS) is a key indicator of aortic mechanical properties and a cardiovascular disease risk factor.
• Prediabetes represents an intermediate stage of glucose metabolism, potentially exhibiting early vascular changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess aortic stiffness and its association with left ventricular (LV) function in prediabetic patients.
• To compare aortic stiffness and LV function between prediabetic individuals and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Employed 2D echocardiography, M-mode, pulsed-wave, and tissue Doppler echocardiography to evaluate LV systolic and diastolic functions.
• Calculated aortic strain and distensibility using M-mode echocardiography and sphygmomanometry-derived blood pressure.
• Included 50 prediabetic patients and 47 healthy controls with similar demographics.

Main Results:

• Prediabetic patients exhibited significantly reduced aortic strain and distensibility compared to controls (p<0.001).
• Significant differences in LV systolic and diastolic function parameters were observed between groups.
• Left atrial diameter was significantly larger in prediabetics (p=0.027).

Conclusions:

• Prediabetes is associated with increased aortic stiffness.
• A significant relationship exists between aortic stiffness and LV function in prediabetics.
• Aortic elasticity parameters derived from echocardiography are valuable for early cardiovascular risk prediction in prediabetes.