Abstract

BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. But traditional risk factor assessment is limited to predict CHD in asymptomatic high-risk individuals. In this study, relationship between coronary calcium score (CCS) and CHD was evaluated to determine value of coronary artery calcification detected by multi-slice spiral computed tomography to predict CHD in high risk asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: 127 patients were enrolled who admitted in Yeungnam University Hospital between December 2004 and May 2005. Standard cardiovascular risk factors and the CCS measured by multi-slice spiral computed tomography were assessed. RESULTS: Enrolled subjects were consisted of 56 subjects with diabetes and 71 subjects without diabetes. The mean CCS was significantly greater in patients with diabetes than without diabetics (P < 0.01). In both groups, patients with higher CCS had higher prevalence of CHD (P < 0.05). In all subjects, LDL cholesterol levels and CCS were significantly associated in multi-variate analysis (P < 0.05). In patients without diabetes, age was only associated with presence of CHD (P < 0.05). CCS was only associated with CHD in patients with diabetes, even after adjusting for the effects of age, LDL cholesterol and CRP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Therefore, multi-slice spiral computed tomography can non-invasively and accurately detect coronary calcification. By detection of coronary artery calcification, it may be possible to predict coronary heart disease early in high-risk asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes.

• Keywords: Cardiovascular disease;Coronary calcium score;Coronary heart disease;Type 2 diabetes