The role of revascularization versus medical therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease.

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risk for cardiovascular clinical events, adverse nonfatal outcomes, and death. There has been considerable improvement in the medical management of patients with T2DM in an attempt to alter the metabolic cascade that is triggered by insulin resistance. Recent trials have demonstrated that medical management of patients with diabetes mellitus and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) is equivalent to revascularization in terms of morality benefit and rates of major adverse cardiovascular events, particularly in patients who do not have extensive CAD. Nonetheless, in those diabetic patients with additional high-risk features including left main disease, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), severe ischemia, or acute coronary syndrome, revascularization remains the best treatment option. Although the evidence still supports coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as the standard of care for revascularization of diabetic patients with multivessel CAD and/or reduced LVEF, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) has resulted in at least partial closure of the gap in benefit between surgery and catheter-based intervention. Ongoing trials of diabetic patients with CAD randomized to PCI or CABG will help further elucidate the role of PCI with DES as a potential revascularization option for this patient population.