Sudden cardiac death: influence of diabetes

Abstract

This article reviews current thinking on the problem of sudden cardiac death (SCD) within community settings, highlighting progress in understanding risks and mechanisms. Information available on the influence of diabetes as a risk factor for SCD and the question of whether this disease enhances susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias is summarized as are central strategies in risk stratification and mortality prevention.

Myocardial impulse propagation is impaired in right ventricular tissue of Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats

“…The prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias is increased in patients with diabetes and although ischemia is suspected to be an important trigger, the increased risk is independent of co-morbidities like coronary heart disease or heart failure [2,3]. …”

Less variation of R-R interval of electrocardiogram in nonobese type 2 diabetes with nocturnal intermittent hypoxia

“…CAN is associated with increased mortality or adverse cardiac events. A high increase of sudden deaths has been reported in patients with diabetic autonomic neuropathy especially when they are sleep [14]. Taken together, since both diabetic autonomic neuropathy and SDB may possibly contribute to the increased cardiovascular disease and sudden deaths in subjects with diabetes and SDB, the patients with diabetes, even if they are nonobese, references…”

Roles of impaired intracellular calcium cycling in arrhythmogenicity of diabetic mouse model

“…Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death in the diabetic population, and diabetic patients are at an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias in addition to susceptibility to ischemic injury . Although multitudinous clinical and experimental evidences posit an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias in diabetes, the underlying mechanisms are not clearly demonstrated. A type 2 diabetes animal model, the db/db mouse with a leptin receptor mutation, is very similar to clinical type 2 diabetes and has been proven to be a suitable model to study cardiovascular consequences of diabetes .…”