Insulin resistance and glycemic abnormalities are associated with deterioration of left ventricular diastolic function: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is considered a precursor of diabetic cardiomyopathy, while insulin resistance (IR) is a precursor of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and independently predicts heart failure (HF). We assessed whether IR and abnormalities of the glucose metabolism are related to LVDD.


METHODS
We included 208 patients with normal ejection fraction, 57 (27%) of whom had T2DM before inclusion. In subjects without T2DM, an oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) was performed. IR was assessed using the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). The lower limit of the top quartile of the HOMA-IR distribution (3.217) was chosen as threshold for IR. LVDD was verified according to current guidelines.


RESULTS
IR was diagnosed in 38 (18%) patients without a history of diabetes. The prevalence of LVDD was 92% in subjects with IR vs. 72% in patients without IR (n = 113), respectively (p = 0.013). In the IR group, the early diastolic mitral inflow velocity (E) in relation to the early diastolic tissue Doppler velocity (averaged from the septal and lateral mitral annulus, E'av) ratio (E/E'av) was significantly higher compared to those without IR (9.8 [8.3-11.5] vs. 8.1 [6.6-11.0], p = 0.011). This finding remains significant when patients with IR and concomitant T2DM based on oGTT results were excluded (E/E'av ratio 9.8 [8.2-11.1)] in IR vs. 7.9 [6.5-10.5] in those without both IR and T2DM, p = 0.014). There were significant differences among patients with and without LVDD regarding the HOMA-IR (1.71 [1.04-3.88] vs. 1.09 [0.43-2.2], p = 0.003). The HOMA-IR was independently associated with LVDD on multivariate logistic regression analysis, a 1-unit increase in HOMA-IR value was associated with an odds ratio for prevalent LVDD of 2.1 (95% CI 1.3-3.1, p = 0.001). Furthermore, the E/E'av ratio increases along the glucose metabolism status from normal glucose metabolism (7.6 [6.2-10.1]) to impaired glucose tolerance (8.8 [7.4-11.0]) and T2DM (10.5 [8.1-13.2]), respectively (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Insulin resistance is independently associated with LVDD in subjects without overt T2DM. Patients with IR and glucose metabolism disorders might represent a target population to prevent the development of HF. Screening programs for glucose metabolism disturbances should address the assessment of diastolic function and probably IR.
Institute for Heart and Circulation Research, University Witten/Herdecke, Germany. wilfried.dinh@helios-kliniken.de
Wilfried
W
Dinh
Mark
M
Lankisch
Werner
W
Nickl
Daniel
D
Scheyer
Thomas
T
Scheffold
Frank
F
Kramer
Thomas
T
Krahn
Rolf M
RM
Klein
Michael Coll
MC
Barroso
Reiner
R
Füth
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human