[Affection of myocardium in diabetes mellitus]

Echocardiography was performed in 67 patients with compensated diabetes mellitus (DM) type I and II. No signs of cardiovascular failure were noted. 20 patients have undergone myocardial scintigraphy. The patients were found to have hyperkinetic central hemodynamics resultant in DM type I from tachycardia, high rate of circulatory shortening of myocardial fibers, in DM type II from compensatory myocardial hypertrophy. In both diabetic types the function of myocardial relaxation was deteriorated as indicated by increased end diastolic volume and slow left ventricular relaxation. This evidences for initial cardiac failure. Myocardial scintigraphy registered perfusion defects in all the examinees, more profound in diabetes mellitus type II. The above findings explain the existence of marked coronarogenic and metabolic myocardial defects in DM.