Myocardial triglyceride content an indicator of impaired LV, right ventricular function

Ng A. Circulation. 2010;122:2538-2544.

Issue: February 2011

In men with type 2 diabetes, elevated myocardial triglyceride content indicated impaired left ventricular and right ventricular function, according to researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

Forty-two men were recruited for the study. Men were excluded from the study if they had an HbA1c level >8.5%, known CVD, diabetes-related complications or BP >150/85 mm Hg. The study did not include women to avoid possible influences of plasma estrogen levels. The median age of the patients was 59 years, and the median diabetes diagnosis duration was 4 years.

All of the men underwent MRI examinations with magnetic resonance spectroscopy and transthoracic echocardiography at baseline. Left and right ventricular volumes and ejection fractions were measured using MRI, and LV and right ventricular myocardial strain and strain rate were measured by echocardiographic 2-D speckle tracking analyses. The myocardial triglyceride content was measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The median myocardial triglyceride content was 0.76%. When evaluating differences between myocardial triglyceride levels more than and less than the median, there were no differences in blood glucose levels, glycohemoglobin levels or lipid profiles. There was also no difference in LV and right ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes or ejection fractions between those with higher and lower myocardial triglyceride content. Patients who had higher myocardial triglyceride content, however, had greater impairment of LV and right ventricular myocardial strain and strain rate.

“The novel aspect of the present study is the demonstration of the independent association between myocardial triglyceride content and biventricular myocardial systolic and diastolic functions,” the researchers wrote.

Follow CardiologyToday.com on Twitter.