Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Echocardiographic Assessment Using Subxiphoid-Only Examination for Hypotensive Patients
Published on: April 18, 2025
Abnormal echocardiography in patients with type 2 diabetes and relation to symptoms and clinical characteristics
Peter Godsk Jørgensen1, Magnus T Jensen2, Rasmus Mogelvang2
1Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hellerup, Denmark Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark petergodsk@gmail.com.
Objectives:
We aimed to determine the prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities and their relation to clinical characteristics and cardiac symptoms in a large, contemporary cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Results:
A total of 1030 patients with type 2 diabetes participated. Echocardiographic abnormalities were present in 513 (49.8%) patients, mainly driven by a high prevalence of diastolic dysfunction 178 (19.4%), left ventricular hypertrophy 213 (21.0%) and left atrial enlargement, 200 (19.6%). The prevalence increased markedly with age from 31.1% in the youngest group (<55 years) to 73.9% in the oldest group (>75 years) (p < 0.001) and was equally distributed among the sexes (p = 0.76). In univariate analyses, electrocardiographic abnormalities, age, body mass index, known coronary heart disease, hypertension, albuminuria, diabetes duration and creatinine were associated with abnormal echocardiography along with dyspnoea and characteristic chest pain (p < 0.05 for all). Neither of the cardiac symptoms nor clinical characteristics had sufficient sensitivity and specificity to accurately identify patients with abnormal echocardiography.
Conclusion:
Echocardiographic abnormalities are very common in outpatients with type 2 diabetes, but neither cardiac symptoms nor clinical characteristics are effective to identify patients with echocardiographic abnormalities.
Related Concept Videos
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System I:Echocardiography
Indications: Echocardiography is utilized to diagnose heart failure, valve disorders, and myocardial infarction. It also assesses cardiac structures' size, shape, and motion,...
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
Rheumatic Heart Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Aortic Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests

