0

Shaymaa Raafat

Alexandria University, Egypt

Presentation Title:

Relation between the epicardial fat thickness and the cardiac conduction system in children and adolescents with diabetes

Abstract

Introduction: Atherosclerosis in patients with type 1 diabetes starts early in childhood with subclinical abnormalities. The epicardial fat thickness (EFT) is a novel method for detecting these early changes. Furthermore, electrocardiographic markers may be altered in patients with diabetes owing to early cardiovascular changes. This study aimed to determine the relationship between EFT and electrocardiographic markers in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
 
Methods: Children with type 1 diabetes who were followed up at Alexandria University Children’s Hospital Diabetes Clinic were enrolled in this study. The study recruited three groups of participants, including 20 patients with a diabetes duration of less than 5 years, 20 patients with a diabetes duration of 5 years or more, and 20 healthy controls. All participants were evaluated with emphasis on anthropometric measurements, fasting blood glucose levels, and lipid profile. HbA1c levels were measured in the cohort with diabetes. All participants underwent electrocardiography for measurement of P-wave dispersion, corrected QT interval and its dispersion, and Tp-e measurement. Echocardiography was performed to measure the EFT. 

Results: Among all participants, EFT was significantly higher in children with a diabetes duration of ≥ 5 years (p= 0.009). Furthermore, P-wave dispersion was significantly prolonged in children with diabetes compared to that in non-diabetics (p= 0.041). There was a statistically significant correlation between EFT and P-wave dispersion in patients with diabetes aged ³ 5 years (p = 0.021). 

Conclusions: Measurement of EFT by Echocardiography is a novel and easy way to predict early cardiovascular changes in children with diabetes, including conduction system disorders.

Biography

Shaymaa Raafat has completed her PHD in 2018 in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes from Alexandria University, Egypt. She is a member in both European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and International society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes. She has  20 publications.