Are silent coronary stenoses predictable in diabetic patients and predictive of cardiovascular events?

OBJECTIVES: We have previously shown that silent coronary stenoses (CS) were predictors of subsequent major cardiac events in diabetic patients with silent myocardial ischemia (SMI). The aim of this study was to determine their correlates and their prognostic value for other cardiovascular events.
METHODS: 362 asymptomatic diabetic patients, without prior myocardial infarction, with > or =1 additional risk factor and a normal resting electrocardiogram underwent a myocardial scintigraphy to detect SMI. The patients with SMI subsequently underwent a coronary angiography to detect CS. A total of 345 (95.3%) patients were followed up for 41 +/- 24 months with regard to the occurrence of stroke, gangrene or a peripheral revascularization procedure, exercise occurrence of angina, and nonfatal arrhythmia.
RESULTS: 121 patients had SMI and 44 had CS. The univariate correlates of CS were age > 65 years (Odds Ratio 2.1 [CI 95%: 1.1-4.0]; p=0.021), male gender (OR 3.1 [1.5-6.3]; p=0.001), smoking (OR 2.8 [1.4-5.6]; p=0.004), > or =2 risk factors (OR 2.1 [1.09-4.09]; p=0.024) and peripheral arterial disease (OR 3.2 [1.2-8.7]; p=0.018). Logistic regression showed that age > 65 years (p=0.034), male gender (p=0.001) and > or =2 risk factors (p=0.013) were independently associated with the presence of CS. The univariate predictors of the 16 minor events were peripheral arterial disease (OR 8.8 [2.7-28.5]; p<0.001), CS (OR 4.9 [1.7-14.2]; p=0.002), SMI (OR 3.7, [1.3-10.5]; p=0.009) and smoking (OR 3.2 [1.1-9.2]; p=0.024). In the multivariate analysis, arterial occlusive disease (p<0.001), smoking (p<0.036) and CS (p=0.044) were independent predictors of events.
CONCLUSION: Silent CS predict major cardiac events but also other cardiovascular events and are more common in diabetic patients > 65 years-old, of male gender and with > or =2 risk factors.