The relationship between right ventricular deformation and heart rate variability in asymptomatic diabetic patients.

Objective: To investigate heart rate variability (HRV) and right ventricular (RV) remodeling in asymptomatic diabetic patients, as well as the relationship between HRV indices and RV structure, function and deformation.

Method: This cross-sectional study included 59 asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes and 45 healthy controls without cardiovascular risk factors. All study subjects underwent 24-h Holter monitoring, laboratory analyses and complete two-dimensional echocardiography examination (2DE).

The influence of white-coat hypertension on left atrial phasic function.

We aimed to investigate the association between white-coat hypertension (WCH) and left atrial (LA) phasic function assessed by the volumetric and speckle tracking method. This cross-sectional study included 52 normotensive individuals, 49 subjects with WCH and 56 untreated hypertensive patients who underwent a 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring and complete two-dimensional echocardiographic examination (2DE). WCH was diagnosed if clinic blood pressure (BP) was elevated and 24-h BP was normal.

Masked Hypertension and Left Atrial Dysfunction: A Hidden Association.

Masked hypertension (MH) is a clinical condition that indicates normal values of clinic blood pressure (BP) but elevated 24-hour BP. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between MH and left atrial (LA) phasic function evaluated by both the volumetric and speckle tracking method. This cross-sectional study included 49 normotensive individuals, 50 patients with MH, and 70 untreated sustained hypertensive patients adjusted by age and sex.

Improvement of Glycemic Control in Insulin-Dependent Diabetics with Depression by Concomitant Treatment with Antidepressants.

BACKGROUND It is still disputable whether negative effects of comorbid depression in diabetics can be diminished by successful treatment of depression. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether addition of antidepressants to existing insulin treatment would further improve glycemic control in these patients. A secondary objective was to assess whether such treatment impairs their lipid and inflammatory status.

Right heart mechanics in untreated normotensive patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a two- and three-dimensional echocardiographic study.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine right ventricular (RV) and right atrial (RA) deformation assessed by two-dimensional echocardiographic and three-dimensional echocardiographic (3DE) imaging in patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 47 untreated normotensive subjects with prediabetes, 57 recently diagnosed normotensive patients with diabetes, and 54 healthy controls of similar sex and age distributions. All subjects underwent laboratory analyses and complete two-dimensional echocardiographic and 3DE examinations.