[Study of the functional status of the heart in diabetes mellitus based on echocardiographic data].

Echocardiographic data are reported for 84 diabetes mellitus patients with reference to their age, severity and clinical pattern of diabetes and its treatment. There was left-ventricular hypertrophy, reduced end-diastolic volume and reduced stroke volume, particularly so in moderate and severe diabetes mellitus. In young insulin-treated patients (11%) with labile glycemia, an obvious mitral prolapse and, perhaps, also aortic valve prolapse were detected. This category of patients would frequently exhibit heart rate and conductivity disorders, such as second-degree sino-auricular block and frequent supraventricular extrasystoles.