[Echocardiographic follow-up of insulin-dependent diabetics]

Results of echocardiographic test made on 29 patients with Diabetes Mellitus type I, under 14 years of age, on two occasions with an average of 33 months between test are presented. Anomalies were detected in approximately 30% of patients and persisted in re-evaluations of those patients with more than three altered parameters. Decrease of septal movement, as an index of myocardial contractibility affectation, is the only parameter which increased rate with time. Authors do not find any correlation between echocardiographic anomalies and age, sex, duration of diabetes, insulin doses and glycohemoglobin values. Due to high incidence of echocardiographic anomalies detected, they recommend these test be conducted periodically on type I diabetics, even though relation between control of the illness and long-term complications still appears to be uncertain.