Urgent Revascularization Strategies in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus and Acute Coronary Syndrome.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is rising globally and in Canada. Besides being a risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease, DM is also a marker of poor prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), increasing the risks for ischemic and bleeding complications. Patients with DM have a high prevalence of multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD) and robust evidence has supported coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) as the optimal revascularization strategy in the setting of stable ischemic heart disease. In the acute scenario, particularly in patients with non-ST-segment elevation (NSTE) ACS (NSTE-ACS), there are many uncertainties regarding the best revascularization strategy. Most guidelines suggest an invasive and timely approach (that is, performing coronary catheterization within 72 hours after the onset of the NSTE-ACS) and make recommendations about choosing between percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or CABG on the basis of data for patients with stable ischemic heart disease. Recent observational and subgroup analyses suggest that CABG might be the preferential method of revascularization for patients with DM and MVD also in the NSTE-ACS setting; however, dedicated randomized clinical trials are lacking. Finally, in patients who present with an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the initial revascularization method of choice is generally PCI, instead of fibrinolysis or CABG, and DM status most often does not influence this decision. The management of residual MVD after primary PCI for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, however, remains controversial.

The role of coronary artery bypass surgery versus percutaneous intervention in patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) often exhibit a complex coronary anatomy, making coronary revascularization challenging. Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) is currently considered the preferred revascularization method in patients with DM and multivessel disease. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has advanced with new stent generations having been developed in the recent years, but they have not yet been adequately compared against CABG in the population with DM. Comorbidities, such as renal disease and heart failure, lead to worse prognosis following a revascularization procedure and require especial consideration when choosing between CABG versus PCI. The presence of significant left main disease may also impose additional challenges to coronary revascularization, particularly when accompanied by the involvement of multivessel disease. Most of the evidence regarding revascularization in patients with DM is compiled from studies enrolling patients with stable ischemic heart disease, and trials with patients in the acute coronary syndrome setting are lacking.