R. Bigi et al., Stress echocardiography for risk stratification of diabetic patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease, DIABET CARE, 24(9), 2001, pp. 1596-1601
OBJECTIVE - Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality a
nd morbidity in diabetic patients; therefore, their risk stratification is
a relevant issue. Because exercise tolerance is frequently impaired in thes
e patients, pharmacological stress echocardiography (SE) has I been suggest
ed as a valuable alternative. Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic value
of this technique in diabetic patients with known or suspected CAD.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A total of 259 consecutive diabetic patients
underwent pharmacological SE (dobutamine in 108 patients and dipyridamole i
n 151 patients) and follow-up for 24 +/- 22 months. A comparison between th
e prognostic value of SE and exercise electrocardiography (ECG) was made in
a subgroup of 120 subjects.
RESULTS - A total of 13 cardiac deaths and 13 nonfatal infarctions occurred
during follow-up, and 58 patients were revascularized. Univariate predicto
rs of outcome were known CAD, positive SE, rest and peak wall motion score
index (WMSI), and peak/rest WMSI variation. Peak WMSI was the only signific
ant and independent prognostic indicator (odds ratio 11; 95% Cl 4-29, P < 0
.0001) on multivariate Cox's analysis, After adjustment for the most predic
tive clinical and exercise ECG variables, SE provided 43% additional progno
stic information (gain in X-2 = 7. P < 0.01). Moreover, positive SE was ass
ociated With a significantly lower event-free survival.
CONCLUSIONS - SE effectively predicts cardiac events in diabetic patients w
ith known or suspected CAD and adds additional prognostic information as co
mpared with exercise ECG.