The relationship between P-wave dispersion and diastolic functions in diabetic children.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the relations between the P-wave dispersion and diastolic functions in type 1 diabetic children.

PATIENTS: A total of 33 diabetic patients without any cardiovascular disease, with a mean age of 12.3 plus or minus 4.2 years, and 29 healthy controls, with a mean age of 10.4 plus or minus 3.9 years were enrolled for this study. Left and right ventricular functions were assessed by using standard pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiography. P-wave dispersion was calculated by measuring minimum and maximum P-wave duration values on the surface electrocardiogram.

RESULTS

For the diabetic patients, P-wave maximum duration and dispersion was found to be significantly increased compared with healthy controls. Likewise, mitral A velocity and A velocity time integral was significantly increased while the isovolumic contraction time was significantly higher in the diabetics. In tricuspid valve measurements, however, A velocity time integral was found to be significantly higher, whereas the deceleration time was significantly lower in the diabetics. No relation was found between the left ventricle diastolic functions and duration of diabetes, HbA1c levels and P-wave dispersion in the diabetic children. No correlation was found between the diastolic functions and P-wave minimum, maximum duration, and dispersion for all the participants.

CONCLUSION

In type-1 diabetic children, the diastolic functions of both the ventricles were observed to be affected negatively together. Diabetes might be causing the prolongation of P-wave dispersion, but there was no relationship between the diastolic functions and P-wave dispersion in the diabetic children.