title: Early myocardial dysfunction in the diabetic heart: current research and clinical applications.
abstract: Patients with diabetes mellitus have a high incidence of heart failure, which contributes significantly to their increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. One of the major complications of diabetes is the development of cardiomyopathy, a condition characterized by defects of contractile function in the absence of significant coronary artery disease or systemic hypertension. Experimental data in animal models show that contractile depression begins as early as 1 week after induction of diabetes, and the dysfunction is related to an isomyosin distribution shift from V(1) with high adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) to V(3) with low ATPase activity. Moreover, diabetes is associated with an increased or poorly regulated rate of amino acid catabolism at the cardiac level. Abnormal responses to acute left ventricular (LV) overload induced by exercise (isometric or isotonic) have been demonstrated in patients with diabetes. Impaired augmentation of LV ejection fraction occurs in up to 40% of patients with diabetes. Analysis of the LV afterload-pump function (LV circumferential wall stress-ejection fraction) relationship shows that defective contractile recruitment is the main cause of this anomaly. Exercise-induced LV dysfunction may be the first manifestation of cardiac involvement in patients with diabetes. Increasing the supply of amino acids in addition to conventional therapy significantly attenuates this phenomenon. Although the precise underlying pathophysiologic mechanism is not completely known, these observations may eventually be important in designing an optimal dietary or supplemental approach for patients with diabetes in order to prevent progressive myocardial dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Cardiology Unit, Giustinianco Hospital, Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Roldano
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scognamiglio
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avogaro
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Negut
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piccolotto
authors.forename: Saula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vigili de Kreutzenberg
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiengo
mesh_terms: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential; D004044:Dietary Proteins