The role of the cardiologist for the prevention of diabetic cardiomyopathy: a narrative review

Abstract

Objective: Review and define Diabetic Cardiomyopathy as an important disease in the scope of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and cardiologist’s role in its prevention. Bibliographic review: Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic and non-transmissible disease, etiologically multifactorial, which alters the cardiovascular system causing Diabetic Cardiomyopathy, related to both type I and type II diabetics, whose pathophysiology is complex, where several intracellular pathways are altered and chronic cells injuries, resulting from the hyperglycemic extracellular environment, generate structural and functional changes in the myocardium, causing chronic heart failure, often refractory to current treatments. In this way, it is essential that the cardiologist has the vision to start the early research of this pathology from the beginning of the diagnosis of diabetes, because the heart can show subtle changes, diagnosed only in imaging exams, in addition to making these patients aware to adopt styles of healthier lives and focus on glycemic control. Final considerations: Taking into account the severity of the disease, further prospective studies are needed with a focus on specific therapies and better care in the management of these patients.