Diabetes Can Lead to Poor Heart Health

---

Hildebrandt P, Wachtell K, Dahlof B, et al.: Impairment of cardiac function in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes: a LIFE study. Diabet Med 22:1005–1011, 2005.

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

People with diabetes are more likely to get cardiovascular disease (disease of the heart and blood vessels). People with heart and blood vessel disease often have high blood pressure as well. The combination of diabetes and high blood pressure is often linked to having an enlarged heart, which makes it difficult for the heart to work properly.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?

Researchers wanted to study the impact of diabetes on how well peoples' hearts worked by studying people with high blood pressure and an enlarged heart. Some study participants had diabetes, while others did not.

Who was studied?

The study included 937 people with high blood pressure and an enlarged heart.

How was the study done?

Participants answered health questions and had a physical exam, including blood tests. They also had heart testing, including an electrocardiogram (sometimes called an EKG, which measures the heart's electrical activity) and echocardiography (which measures the size and structure of the heart using sound waves).

What did the researchers find?

One hundred and five participants reported having diabetes. The hearts of those with diabetes functioned worse even though their hearts were about the same size as the hearts of participants without diabetes.

The researchers concluded that their hearts didn't function well because of diabetes.

What were the limitations of the study?

The diagnosis of people with diabetes was based on the participants' survey answers, not blood tests. Therefore, there may have been participants who had diabetes but didn't know it, or some participants with diabetes may have not been truthful about having diabetes. These factors may have changed the study's results.

What are the implications of the study?

Type 2 diabetes has an effect on how well a person's heart functions, which has nothing to do with having high blood pressure. This highlights the importance of keeping blood glucose under control, especially if the person also has an enlarged heart.