[Significance of the PV 1 index in the ECG of diabetes mellitus and in the early forms of chronic ischemic heart disease].

In 152 patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic ischaemic heart diseases and hypertension the so-called ptf-product resulting from the height of the amplitude of P and its time of spreading) measured in the lead V1 (PV1-index), was determined and compared with the values of 93 persons with healthy heart. Patients of the groups of diseases mentioned showed significantly higher pathological values than persons with healthy heart (limiting value -0.02 mms). A comparison between patients with chromic ischaemic heart disease at the age of 36-55 years and a group of diabetics of the same age without the clinical signs of an ischaemic heart disease resulted in no statistically ascertained differences. But compared with a group of persons with healthy heart of the same age the groups clearly differed: 63.9% of pathological values in the total group of disease compared with 18.5% of pathological values in persons with healthy heart. In 137 patients with latent diabetes (protodiabetes) in 54.7% also pathological ptf-values were found. It is possible that the determination of the ptf-product is able to ascertain already early forms of a chronic ischaemic heart disease still before its clinical manifestation. The large number of pathological values in patients with protodiabetes could be a first reference to early beginning disturbances of the left-sided atrial activity in the sense of a microangiopathy.