Characteristics of Patients With Diabetes Having Normal Coronary Arteries

Abstract

We evaluated the association between risk variables in diabetic patients with normal and diseased coronary arteries in a retrospective cohort study conducted at Rashid Hospital, Dubai. A total of 4446 patients underwent coronary angiography due to various indications; 43% had type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Among the diabetic patients, 94% had diseased coronary arteries and the remaining 6% had absolutely normal arteries. The normal coronary group had significantly lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and a higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels than the diseased group. Patients with normal coronaries were more likely to be females, have T2DM for a shorter duration, and were nonsmokers and non-South Asians. They also had lower levels of LDL, hemoglobin A1c, and fasting glucose and higher levels of HDL-C. Apart from these variables, genetic or environmental factors could protect these patients from atherosclerosis.