JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, cilt.17, sa.11, ss.1185-1190, 2004 (SCI-Expanded)
Albuminuria is a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. In this study, the relationship of albuminuria. with left ventricular function by using myocardial performance (Tei) index together with conventional function parameters was aimed to be examined. We studied 123 patients with diabetes but without obvious coronary artery disease and heart failure. The patients were divided into 3 groups: 50 with no albuminuria; 49 with microalbuminuria; and 24 with macroalbuminuria. The Tei index in the patients with diabetes was increased (0.59 +/- 0.12). A significant stepwise increase in the Tei index was seen from no albuminuria to macroalbuminuria (0-51 +/- 0.1, 0.61 +/- 0.1, and 0.7 +/- 0.08, respectively). Tei index was positively correlated with isovolumic relaxation time, isovolumic contraction time, the duration of diabetes, left ventricular mass index, the levels of fibrinogen, creatinine, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The association of amount of secreted albumin into urine with echocardiographic parameters (Tei index, ejection fraction, peak early and late transmitral filling velocity ratio, peak early transmitral filling velocity decelaration time, isovolumic relaxation time, left ventricle mass index) was evaluated by using regression analysis. It was observed that amount of albumin was significantly associated with only Tei index (P = .001, B = 0.3). It was found that there was a strong relation between Tei index and albuminuria and also its degree. Therefore, it was concluded that Tei index may be a sensitive marker for diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in patients with diabetes and prognosis of diabetes.