Index of myocardial performance in patients with type 2 diabetes without hypertension and its relationship with clinical and echocardiographic parameters.

Background: Diabetes mellitus affects the systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle (LV). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the index of myocardial performance (IMP), a new Doppler index, in asymptomatic, normotensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: The study population consisted of 40 asymptomatic normotensive patients with T2DM (22 women, 18 men; mean [±SD] age 49 ± 7 years) and 20 healthy controls (13 women, seven men; mean age 45 ± 4 years). M-Mode and two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography was performed in all subjects to calculate IMP. Venous blood samples were collected for analysis and body mass index (BMI) was calculated.

Results: In normotensive T2DM patients, the mitral E wave was decreased, whereas mitral A wave, mitral E/A ratio, and septal wall thickening were increased compared with values obtained for the control group. The IMP was higher in normotensive T2DM patients than in the control group (P = 0.004). There was a significant correlation between IMP and triglyceride (TG) levels (P < 0.001), mitral E wave (P < 0.001), mitral E/A ratio (P < 0.001), ejection fraction (P = 0.001), fasting blood glucose (P =0.007), LV systolic dimension (P < 0.001), duration of diabetes (P = 0.017), and BMI (P = 0.029). Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that only TG levels (β = 0.355, t = 2.487, P = 0.017) and the mitral E/A ratio (β = -0.384, t = -2.690, P = 0.011) had an independent effect on IMP.

Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that IMP is increased in normotensive T2DM patients. The findings suggest that increased IMP may be an early sign of diabetic cardiomyopathy in normotensive diabetic patients with preserved LV function.