Screening for Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Jithendra Somaratne, Gillian A Whalley, Katrina K Poppe, Mariska M ter Bals, Gina Wadams, Ann Pearl, Warwick Bagg, Rob N Doughty
Primary Institution: The University of Auckland
Hypothesis
Is NT-proBNP superior to 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) for detecting left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with type 2 diabetes?
Conclusion
LVH is common in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes, and while NT-proBNP is better than ECG for detection, it is still not suitable for screening.
Supporting Evidence
- 56% of patients with type 2 diabetes had LVH.
- Only 2% of LVH cases were detected by ECG.
- NT-proBNP had an AUC of 0.68 for detecting LVH.
Takeaway
Many people with type 2 diabetes have a heart condition called left ventricular hypertrophy, but the tests we currently use to find it aren't very good.
Methodology
A prospective cross-sectional study comparing the diagnostic accuracy of ECG and NT-proBNP for detecting LVH in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of patients with known cardiovascular disease.
Limitations
The study did not assess silent myocardial ischaemia, which could confound results.
Participant Demographics
Mean age 58 years, 49% women, 42% Caucasian, 33% Polynesian, 25% Asian.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.62 to 0.74
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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