[Left ventricular function in patient with diabetes mellitus--Evaluated by mechanocardiogram and echocardiogram]

We measured cardiac functions by means of mechanocardiogram and echo-cardiogram in 93 patients with diabetes mellitus, excluding those who had apparent cardiac diseases, such as angina pectoris and cardiac failure. We used pre-ejection-period/ejection time (PEP/ET) as the index of the left ventricular systolic function and isovolumic relaxation time (IRT) as that of the left ventricular diastolic function. We compared the diabetic cases without complications to those with complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and autonomic disorder. Conclusions obtained were as follows; An abnormal IRT was noted in the early stage of diabetic complications. The IRT was not normal among the subjects even when those with cardiac hypertrophy or ST-depression on the ECG were excluded. On the contrary, the PEP/ET did not show any abnormality in the early stage of diabetic complications until they advanced into, eg. renal failure or severe neuropathy. Our findings suggest that the disorder of the left ventricular diastolic function precedes that of the left ventricular systolic function, indicating the association of microangiopathy and autonomic disorder.