Electrocardiographic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objective. To determine the most frequent alterations in rhythm and cardiac conduction in patients with type 2 diabetes without previous cardiopathy, and to establish the association of this disease with cardiovascular risk f actors. Material and methods, Subjects with type 2 diabetes, without cardio pathy antecedents were included in the study. Cardiovascular risk factors, body mass index and serum glucose, cholesterol and trygliceride levels were determined. A resting electrocardiogram was recorded. The association betw een the variables under study and arrhythmia was calculated with a multivar iate analysis adjusted by sex. Results. A total of 199 patients were includ ed: 113 women (56.8%) and 86 men (43.2%). Arrhythmia was registered in 29.1 % of the subjects. Anterior hemiblock (AH) and right bundle branch block (R BBB) constituted 75.9% of the identified alterations. Patients with arrhyth mia and conduction disorders have higher levels of cholesterol and triglyce rides. Appearance of arrhythmia is directly related to aging (r = 0.75, p = 0.01). The multivariate analysis adjusted by sex revealed that hypercholes terolemia and aging are significantly associated with arrhythmia and conduc tion alterations: OR 1.5, CI 95%, 1.1-4.6, p< 0.05 and OR 1.3, CI 95% 1.0-5 .2, p < 0.05, respectively, Conclusions. The most frequent arrhythmia and c onduction disorders in type 2 diabetes are AH and RBBB. Hypercholesterolemi a and aging are the strongest and most frequent factors associated to the p resence of this disease.