Subclinical left ventricular dysfunction and coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is independently related to subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients and if it could provide incremental information over baseline characteristics to identify high-risk patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 234 asymptomatic, type 2 diabetic patients without overt LV systolic dysfunction underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring and two-dimensional echocardiography. The LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) was assessed using automated function imaging. Patients with coronary atherosclerosis (CAC > 0; n = 139) had more impaired GLS when compared with patients without coronary atherosclerosis (CAC = 0; n = 95; -18.0 ± 2.8 vs. -16.3 ± 3.0%, P < 0.001). At multivariate analysis, male gender, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, and the LV GLS were independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis. The addition of the LV GLS to other selected independent clinical variables significantly improved the ability to predict coronary atherosclerosis in these patients (χ(2) = 58.92; P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Type 2 diabetic patients with coronary atherosclerosis showed a more impaired LV GLS compared with patients without coronary atherosclerosis. The presence of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction provides significant incremental value for the identification of diabetic patients having coronary atherosclerosis.

Prevalence and predictors of an abnormal stress myocardial perfusion study in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of an abnormal stress myocardial perfusion study in a cohort of truly asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using myocardial perfusion imaging by means of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Secondly, we determined which clinical characteristics may predict an abnormal stress myocardial perfusion study in this population. METHODS: A total of 120 asymptomatic patients (mean age 53+/-10 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus and one or more risk factors for coronary artery disease were prospectively recruited from an outpatient diabetes clinic. All patients underwent myocardial perfusion imaging by means of adenosine (99m)Tc sestamibi SPECT. Images were evaluated for the presence of perfusion abnormalities as well as other nonperfusion abnormalities that may indicate extensive ischaemia, including left ventricular dysfunction (defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction <45%), transient ischaemic dilatation and adenosine-induced ST segment depression. Multivariable analysis was performed using a backward selection strategy to identify potential predictors for an abnormal stress myocardial perfusion study. Finally, all patients were followed up for 12 months to determine the occurrence of cardiovascular events: (1) cardiac death, (2) nonfatal myocardial infarction, (3) unstable angina requiring hospitalization, (4) revascularization, or (5) stroke. RESULTS: Of the 120 patients, 40 (33%) had an abnormal stress study, including myocardial perfusion abnormalities in 30 patients (25%). In 10 patients (8%), indicators of extensive (possibly balanced ischaemia) were observed in the absence of abnormal perfusion. The multivariable analysis identified current smoking, duration of diabetes and the cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio as independent predictors of an abnormal stress study. During a follow-up period of 12 months six patients (5%) had a cardiovascular event. CONCLUSION: The current study revealed a high prevalence of abnormal stress myocardial perfusion studies in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus despite the absence of symptoms. In contrast to earlier studies, current smoking, duration of diabetes and the cholesterol/HDL ratio were identified as independent predictors of an abnormal study.

Different manifestations of coronary artery disease by stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging, coronary calcium scoring, and multislice CT coronary angiography in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: We sought to assess prospectively the evidence for silent coronary artery disease (CAD) in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by stress single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging, coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring, and multislice computed tomographic (MSCT) coronary angiography. METHODS: One hundred asymptomatic patients (aged 30 to 72 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus and one or more risk factors for CAD were prospectively recruited from an outpatient diabetes clinic. All patients underwent adenosine technetium-99m sestamibi SPECT imaging, CAC scoring, and 64-slice MSCT coronary angiography. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (23%) had abnormal stress SPECT imaging, consistent with inducible myocardial ischemia, whereas 60 patients (60%) had positive CAC scoring (18 patients [18%] with significant CAC >401), and 70 patients (70%) had abnormal MSCT coronary angiography (24 patients [24%] with significant, >or=50% stenosis). Of 77 patients with normal SPECT, 44 had a positive CAC score (10 patients [13%] >401), and 54 showed CAD on MSCT angiography (16 patients [21%] with >or=50% stenosis). Of 23 patients with an abnormal SPECT, 16 patients had a positive CAC score (8 patients [35%] >401), and 16 patients had CAD on MSCT angiography (8 patients [35%] with >or=50% stenosis). Overall, 17 patients (17%) had more than 2 significantly abnormal diagnostic test results, and 5 patients had three tests with significantly abnormal results. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, different modalities visualized different aspects of silent coronary atherosclerosis. Anatomic evidence of coronary atherosclerosis (CAC and MSCT) occurred more frequently than functional evidence (stress SPECT). However, clinically significant manifestations of CAD were observed in about one-quarter to one-fifth of patients by each modality, either separately or combined. The relative prognostic value of each modality needs to be determined by a follow-up of this cohort.