Natural history of asymptomatic coronary arteriographic lesions in diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease.

Arteriosclerotic heart disease is a major cause of death in insulin-requiring juvenile diabetic patients treated for end-stage renal disease. Eleven consecutive diabetic patients without clinical evidence of coronary artery disease underwent complete cardiac evaluations, including coronary arteriography, as part of transplant recipient work-ups. Seven were women and four were men; their mean age was 32 (21 to 50 years). Angiographically, every patient had multifocal atherosclerotic coronary disease. Four of seven patients tested had positive-stress electrocardiograms. In this group of patients followed for a mean of 19.8 months, eight died. Of these deaths, six were due to coronary heart disease and another due to a stroke. In two patients who became clinically symptomatic, serial angiograms revealed progressive disease of the coronary circulation; in one case, despite normal renal allograft function and serum lipid levels. The mode of end-stage renal disease treatment, serum lipids or blood pressure control could not be linked to mortality. It is concluded that arteriosclerotic heart disease is common in diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease even when angina is absent. The natural history in this high risk population is an important consideration in the selection of patients for end-stage renal disease treatment.