Body mass index, type 2 diabetes, and left ventricular function

A recent study found that among individuals with a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 55%, global longitudinal strain was significantly lower in overweight patients (i.e., body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2)) with, but not in those without, type 2 diabetes mellitus. These results contrast previous observations of body mass index as a significant predictor of incident diastolic dysfunction and increased left ventricular mass index among subjects without prevalent diabetes. We discuss potential explanations for the observed discrepancies and general difficulties associated with cardiovascular risk assessment based on body mass index and related metabolic factors.