Coronary microvascular function is independently associated with left ventricular filling pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is known as an early marker of myocardial alterations in patients with diabetes. Because microvascular disease has been regarded as an important cause of heart failure or diastolic dysfunction in diabetic patients, we tested the hypothesis that coronary flow reserve (CFR), which reflects coronary microvascular function, is associated with LV diastolic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods We studied asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes but without overt heart failure. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography was performed that included pulsed tissue Doppler of the mitral annulus and CFR of the left anterior descending artery (induced by adenosine 0.14 mg/kg/min). The ratio of mitral velocity to early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/e′) was used as a surrogate marker of diastolic function. We also evaluated renal function, lipid profile, parameters of glycemic control and other clinical characteristics to determine their association with E/e′. Patients with LV ejection fraction 2.0 mg/dl) or type 1 diabetes were excluded. Patients with a CFR