[Diabetes mellitus and heart failure].

Chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is a condition that is frequent and has a poor prognosis. Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for CHF and vice versa. CHF is found in 10-15% of the patients with DM compared to 3% in individuals without DM. Apart from CHD and hypertension, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance are directly linked to the development of diastolic dysfunction and to CHF. According to the stepwise diagnostic procedure recommended by the ESC in its guidelines from 2005, if heart failure is suspected, the disease should first be diagnosed by ECG, X-ray, or testing for natriuretic peptide and followed by echocardiography when test results are abnormal. Treatment of CHF in patients with diabetes mellitus is the same as that for nondiabetic patients and includes the use of ACEIs, ARBSs (as an alternative to or in combination with ACEIs), BBs, diuretics (in particular loop diuretics), aldosterone inhibitors and digitalis. Most importantly, meticulous glucose control is a must in patients with diabetes mellitus and CHF to improve prognosis. Contraindications for antidiabetic drugs such as glitazones for CHF-NYHA classes I-IV and metformin for NYHA classes III-IV need to be considered in patients with CHF and diabetes mellitus.