Early detection of ventricular dysfunction in LADA using novel tissue Doppler parameters: A case-control study

Introduction & ObjectiveLatent autoimmune diabetes mellitus (LADA), a heterogeneous disease, is much more common in society than thought. Although it has been claimed that LADA is similar to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from a cardiovascular perspective, there is no clear consensus. In this context, the objective of this study is to assess subclinical dysfunction in the left and right ventricles in patients with LADA using novel tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters.Materials &MethodsThe sample of this observational case-control study consisted of 57 consecutive patients aged between 30 and 70 years who applied to the endocrinology and metabolism outpatient clinics, were diagnosed with LADA, and were referred to the cardiology clinic for echocardiographic (ECHO) evaluation. The control group consisted of 60 healthy volunteers. Participants' demographic and clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were recorded. All participants underwent ECHO using conventional ECHO and TDI. Subclinical left ventricular dysfunction was assessed using the myocardial performance index (MPI) and isovolumic myocardial acceleration (IVA).ResultsThere were no significant differences between the patient and control groups in terms of conventional ECHO parameters. The left ventricular (LV) MPI was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (0.54 ± 0.11 vs 0.47 ± 0.07, <i>p =</i> 0.008). There was no significant difference between the groups in right ventricular (RV) MPI (0.49 ± 0.10 vs 0.46 ± 0.70, <i>p =</i> 0.217). IVA was decreased in both ventricles (IVA mitral: 3.03 ± 1.44 vs 3.78 ± 1.66, <i>p =</i> 0.008 and IVA tricuspid: 2.67 ± 0.88 vs 3.42 ± 0.97, <i>p =</i> 0.034). Both LV IVA and RV IVA were found to be significantly correlated with glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies' (GADA) levels in the negative direction (R = -0.290, <i>p =</i> 0.005 and R = -0.340, <i>p =</i> 0.001).ConclusionsIt was observed that LADA negatively affected the systolic and diastolic functions of both ventricles, with its effect being more pronounced in the left ventricle. Glycemic control and autoantibody titers were found to be correlated with TDI parameters, emphasizing their relevance in assessing cardiac dysfunction.