Unmasking Subclinical Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Speckle-Tracking Echocardiographic Study

• Published in: Medicina
• Main Authors: Laura-Cătălina Benchea, Larisa Anghel, Nicoleta Dubei, Răzvan-Liviu Zanfirescu, Gavril-Silviu Bîrgoan, Radu Andy Sascău, Cristian Stătescu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
• Subjects: type 2 diabetes mellitus; right ventricular dysfunction; speckle-tracking echocardiography; early cardiovascular risk stratification
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/9/1516
• ISSN: 1010-660X; 1648-9144

<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) substantially increases cardiovascular risk; beyond the well-recognized left-ventricular involvement in diabetic cardiomyopathy, emerging data indicate subclinical right-ventricular (RV) dysfunction may also be present. This study aimed to evaluate whether speckle-tracking echocardiography identifies subclinical right-ventricular systolic dysfunction in type 2 diabetes, despite normal conventional indices and preserved global systolic function. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: We conducted a cross-sectional, single-center study in accordance with STROBE recommendations, enrolling 77 participants, 36 adults with T2DM, and 41 non-diabetic controls, between December 2024 and July 2025. All participants underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography, including conventional parameters (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid annular systolic velocity (TV S’), right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC)) and deformation imaging (right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RV GLS), right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWS)) using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Biochemical and clinical data, including glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), were recorded. Correlation and ROC curve analyses were performed to explore associations and predictive value. <i>Results</i>: The mean age was comparable between the two groups (62.08 ± 9.54 years vs. 60.22 ± 13.39 years; <i>p</i> = 0.480). While conventional RV parameters did not differ significantly between groups, diabetic patients had significantly lower RV GLS (−13.86 ± 6.07% vs. −18.59 ± 2.27%, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and RVFWS (−15.64 ± 4.30% vs. −19.03 ± 3.53%, <i>p</i> < 0.001). HbA1c levels correlated positively with RV strain impairment (RVFWS r = 0.41, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Both RV GLS and RVFWS were independent predictors of RV dysfunction in logistic regression analysis. ROC analysis showed good diagnostic performance for RV GLS, AUC = 0.84 with an optimal cut-off −17.2% (sensitivity 86.1% and specificity 80.5%) and RVFWS, AUC = 0.76 with cut-off −17.6% (sensitivity 77.8; specificity 80.5%) in identifying early myocardial involvement. <i>Conclusions</i>: RV systolic dysfunction may occur early in T2DM, even when traditional echocardiographic indices remain within normal limits. Speckle-tracking echocardiography, particularly RV GLS and RVFWS, offers sensitive detection of subclinical myocardial impairment, reinforcing its value in early cardiovascular risk stratification among diabetic patients.