Estimated peak systolic pulmonary artery pressure in young non-complicated patients with type 1 diabetes

G. Zoppini, C. Bergamini, M. Trombetta, A. Mantovani, G. Targher, E. Rinaldi, E. Bonora

Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy. giacomo.zoppini@univr.it

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• Metabolism

OBJECTIVE: Right ventricle and pulmonary artery pressure have always received less attention in type 1 diabetes than left ventricle. The aim of this study is to compare the right heart performance and the estimated peak systolic pulmonary artery pressure (EPSPAP) in young type 1 diabetes patients with healthy controls.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Subjects affected by type 1 diabetes without cardiovascular and respiratory diseases (n=93) and healthy controls (n=56) were evaluated with a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography. The pulmonary peak systolic arterial pressure was calculated with an established formula based on pulmonary artery acceleration time.

RESULTS: The left ventricle’s function was found to be normal in all the subjects under study. The estimated peak systolic pulmonary artery pressure was significantly higher in patients with type 1 diabetes compared to the controls (38.5 ± 8.6 vs. 35.4 ± 6.7, p = 0.019). The highest value of EPSPAP was observed in smoking female patients with type 1 diabetes. Basal and mid cavity diameter of the right ventricle were higher in patients with type 1 diabetes. Factors associated with EPSPAP were sex, body mass index, mid cavity diameter and, with an inverse correlation, HDL-cholesterol.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that young, uncomplicated patients with type 1 diabetes have a higher estimated peak systolic pulmonary artery pressure. Further studies are needed to define the mechanisms underlying this alteration and its clinical consequences.

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