Even mild heart disease increases mortality risk for diabetic patients

A large-scale study involving 40,000 patients from 17 centres around the world has found that diabetic patients with even mild coronary artery disease face the risk of a heart attack.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia and St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver analysed data from the Coronary CT Angiography Evaluation For Clinical Outcomes: An International Multicenter (CONFIRM) Registry.

The registry, which has cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) data on 40,000 patients from 17 centres around the world also has five-year follow-up data on 14,000 patients.

The researchers analysed data on 1,823 diabetic patients who underwent CCTA to detect and determine the extent of coronary artery disease.

The researchers found that both obstructive and mild or non-obstructive coronary artery disease as determined by CCTA were related to patient deaths and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE).

More importantly, the study found that the relative risk of death or MACE for a patient with mild coronary artery disease was comparable to that of patients with single vessel obstructive disease.

"Our five-year follow-up data suggests that non-obstructive and obstructive coronary artery disease in diabetic patients are both associated with higher rates of mortality," said study co-author Philipp Blanke, radiologist at the University of British Columbia and St. Paul's Hospital.

"The CONFIRM Registry is the largest long-term data set available and allowed us to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of CCTA in diabetic patients," added study co-author Jonathan Leipsic, vice chairman of department of radiology at the University of British Columbia.