Objective: To assess subclinical left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in normotensive latent autoimmune diabetes in adult (LADA) patients with normal ejection fraction and fractional shortening by velocity vector imaging (VVI).
Methods: Digital dynamic imaging of 60 normotensive LADA patients and another 60 healthy subjects were collected. The longitudinal velocity, strain, and strain rate were measured in systolic, early and later diastolic period respectively and the peak time of velocity, strain, and strain rate were recorded. The parameters were analyzed.
Results: Compared with the control group, all of the measured parameters of LADA patients were significantly lower (P<0.01), except the later diastolic strain (P>0.05). The peak time of myocardial longitudinal velocity, strain and strain rate was lengthened compared with the control group, but without statistical significance (P>0.05).
Conclusion: VVI is a novel and noninvasive tool to quantitatively and objectively assess left ventricular regional systolic and diastolic function in the LADA patients. It can make trustworthy early diagnose of abnormal left ventricle myocardial performance in patients with subclinical LADA.