Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. We examined the relationship between CVD in different vascular territories.
Methods: T2DM patients without known or suspected CVD (n = 305) referred consecutively to a diabetes clinic for the first time and age-matched nondiabetic reference subjects (n = 40) were screened for myocardial ischemia, carotid, and peripheral arterial disease by means of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, carotid artery ultrasonography, and peripheral ankle and toe systolic blood pressure measurements.
Results: In the T2DM patients, the prevalence of myocardial ischemia, carotid, and peripheral arterial disease was 30%, 42%, and 15%, respectively, almost three times higher than in the reference subjects (P = 0.007, P = 0.001, and P = 0.09, respectively). T2DM patients with myocardial ischemia, carotid, or peripheral arterial disease had a significantly increased risk of CVD in other vascular territories as well (OR: 1.99, 2.09, and 3.09, respectively). However, 40%, 52%, and 22% of the T2DM patients with myocardial ischemia, carotid, or peripheral arterial disease demonstrated exclusively this particular type of CVD manifestation.
Conclusions: In T2DM patients, signs of CVD in one vascular territory carry a significantly increased risk of CVD in other territories, although many patients only presented one manifestation.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00298844.