Latent cardiac abnormalities in patients with recently diagnosed type 2diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is an important independent risk factor for atherosclerotic related disease. Specifically diabetic patients carry a three fold increased risk of developing cardiac abnormalities in the form of ischaemic heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, diabetic cardiomyopathy and/ or autonomic dysfunction. Increased cardiovascular mortality occurs in diabetic patients with or without w coronary heart disease. This is attributed to the presence of diabetic cardiomyopathy. This study was conducted to search for latent and early cardiac abnormalities in recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus, and was conducted on fifty patients (35 females & 15 males) ranging in age from 40 to 65 years. They comprised group 1 (patients' group), who were normotensive, non-obese and without symptoms or signs of heart disease. Besides twenty apparently healthy persons were included as a control group. They were 10 males and 10 females, their age ranged also from 40 to 65 years. They comprised group 2 (control group). All patients and controls were subjected to: 1-Thorough clinical evaluation. 2-Laboratory work up including: Fasting & 2 hour post prandial blood sugar, lipid profile, serum insulin level, and C-peptide, uric acid, C• reactive protein, urea and creatinine, as well as Urine analysis for detection of microalbuminuria. 3-Standard 12 lead electrocardiogram, for routine analysis, and calculation of QT dispersion.