A new study published in Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology Diabetes investigated the predictive role of serum 2 oxoglutarate towards the severity of chronic heart failure CHF in type 2 diabetes mellitus T2DM patients and whether 2 oxoglutarate can indicate the diastolic or systolic function of the left ventricle. This study enrolled 180 CHF patients 76 with T2DM and 66 healthy controls. The results revealed that 2 oxoglutarate was elevated in CHF patients with or without T2DM compared to controls. Nondiabetic patients with a lower left ventricular ejection fraction or a higher N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide NT proBNP or left ventricular end diastolic volume index had higher levels of 2 oxoglutarate but this effect was not consistent in T2DM patients. In addition NT proBNP and left ventricular end diastolic diameter were found to be independently associated with increased 2 oxoglutarate in nondiabetic patients. Thus it was concluded that the levels of 2 oxoglutarate can reflect the clinical severity of CHF in nondiabetic patients but not in those with T2DM. It was stated that 2 oxoglutarate could be a potential indicator of the systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle.