Left ventricular hypertrophy and BMI in diabetics

Abstract

Introduction Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are independent risk factors for microvascular and macrovascular diseases. So, it has been associated with abnormalities of cardiac function and left ventricular hypertrophy. Type 2 diabetic individuals, particularly obese women, had higher heart rates, greater left ventricular wall thicknesses and greater cardiac mass than subjects without diabetes. The objective of the present study was to investigate association between waist circumference–body mass index (BMI) and left ventricle mass (LVM)–left ventricle mass index (LVMI) in patients with type 2 DM and without known cardiac disease. Methods The study group comprised of 65 patients, 22 men and 43 women with mean age 58.6±10.09, with type 2 diabetes, hospitalized at the Department of Internal Medicine. Patients with presence of renal failure or heart failure of any stage, known cardiac diseases, pulmonary diseases and anemia, were excluded. Diabetes was defined by fasting plasma glucose levels 126 mg/dl or by specific treatment. BMI was calculated by standard formula and expressed as kg/m2 and abdominal circumference was measured, too. Two-dimensional echocardiograms of the LV were performed. The LV mass (LVM) was calculated by the formula introduced by Devereux and Reicheck and was indexed for body surface area to obtain LVMI. LV hypertrophy was diagnosed when LVMI was >134 g/m2 in men and >110 g/m2 in women. Results In all patients, there were significant correlation between abdominal circumference and LVM; between BMI and LVM; and between BMI and LVMI. According to sex, were significant relations between BMI and LVM (p: 0.03), and BMI and LVMI (p: 0.007), only in woman. These parameters were not associated in men. Conclusion In diabetic patients, high BMI and abdominal circumference were associated with increasing LVM and LVMI, especially in women. So, in obese diabetics these parameters are important risk factors, for heart disease.