Older Type 2 Diabetes Patients at Increased Risk for HF

In a cross-sectional study, researchers assessed the prevalence and characteristics of undiagnosed HF in 156 minority patients with Type 2 diabetes (60% female; mean age, 58 years). The majority of patients were Hispanic (65.3%) and 30.1% were black.

The researchers conducted the study because of the unknown prevalence of undiagnosed HF in minorities with diabetes.

Undiagnosed systolic dysfunction occurredin 6% of the cohort versus 40% of the cohort with identified systolic dysfunction. The mean systolic blood pressure of the cohort was 129.99 mm Hg.

In addition, patients with HF were more likely to be older. Those with HF were a mean age of about 62 years compared with about 57 years among those without HF (P=.014). This finding makes other patients with Type 2 diabetes “a proper targeted population for early diagnostic testing,” the researchers concluded.

The risk for HF was not significantly affected by BMI, blood pressure, HbA1c, duration of diabetes, lipids, gender or race.

Somuri S. #P1-491. Presented at: The Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting; June 10-13,2009, Washington, D.C.