IMPAIRED LEFT-VENTRICULAR DIASTOLIC FILLING OCCURS IN DIABETIC-PATIENTS WITHOUT ATHEROSCLEROTIC CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

Using left ventriculography, left ventricular diastolic function was s tudied in 24 diabetic patients who had angina pectoris without atheros clerotic large-vessel coronary artery diseases (group A, 14 patients w ith exercise-induced ischemic ST-T changes as seen during electrocardi ogram; group B, 10 patients without such changes), In groups A and B, the global peak filling rate was significantly less than that in contr ol patients without diabetes or cardiac diseases, The ratio of the glo bal time to the peak filling rate to the diastolic time was higher in both groups A and B than in the control groups However, the total of t ime differences, defined as the sum of the time differences between gl obal time to the peak filling rate and each of the three regional time to the peak filling rate, was greater in group A than in either group B or the control patients, Total time difference was similar in group B and the controls, Left ventricular diastolic filling was impaired i n diabetic patients without large-vessel coronary artery disease, Impa ired diastolic filling was present regionally in patients with ischemi c ST-T change but globally in those without such change.