Y Heart Failure in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: Paraclinical Findings

Introduction Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and glycaemic control increase the risk of developing heart failure (HF). DM cardiomyopathy is associated with both diastolic and systolic dysfunction, and eventually by clinical HF. Furthermore, obesity is responsible for structural and functional changes in the heart that consequently lead to an increase in the incidence and prevalence of HF in DM patients. Material and Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in NIDNMD N.C. Paulescu from Bucharest during January-November 2019. Demographic, clinical and paraclinical data were collected from inpatients admitted to the Cardiology Department and analysed them using Microsoft Excel 2013 and PSPP software. Results 269 inpatients with a mean age of 61.8 +/- 11.55 years, 48.32% females, a mean A1c 8.12%+/- 1.9, mean duration of diabetes of 13.07 +/- 4 years were included. All patients had DM, while 53.9% of patients were obese, and 54.57% of patients had HF. Discussions DM patients have an increased risk of cardiovascular events and, also, DM can determine HF by direct microvascular inflammation of the myocardium. HF prevalence is increasing and the patients that request hospitalization for HF have a worse survival, with an increase in mortality rates. DM can lead to diastolic dysfunction in the absence of ventricular hypertrophy, through myocardiopathy. Conclusions HF, DM and obesity prevalence continues to rise, leading to an increased financial burden for the healthcare systems worldwide. SGLT2 inhibitors are the only medication efficient both in prevention and amelioration of HF symptoms, and, also, in decreasing the rate of hospitalization for HF. Despite that DM treatment has clear indications, there is still need of a consensus for a recommendation of nutritional intervention and decrease weight for overweight and obese patients.