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Relation of coronary artery ectasia to diabetes mellitus

Aristides E Androulakis1, Georgios K Andrikopoulos, Athanasios N Kartalis

  • 1State Cardiac Department, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece.

The American Journal of Cardiology
|April 28, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Diabetes mellitus is inversely associated with coronary artery ectasia (CAE), a finding similar to its association with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). This study investigated diabetes prevalence in patients with CAE versus other coronary artery disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) share an inverse relationship with diabetes mellitus.
  • Previous reports indicate a higher prevalence of CAE and lower frequency of diabetes in AAA patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between diabetes mellitus and coronary artery ectasia (CAE).
  • To compare diabetes prevalence in patients with CAE versus those with coronary artery disease alone.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 190 patients with CAE and 341 age- and gender-matched controls with coronary artery disease.
  • Statistical analysis to determine the independent association between diabetes mellitus and CAE.

Main Results:

  • Diabetes mellitus was found to be independently and inversely associated with CAE.
  • The relative risk for CAE in diabetic patients was 0.603 (95% CI 0.375 to 0.960, p = 0.037).

Conclusions:

  • The inverse relationship between diabetes mellitus and CAE supports findings observed in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
  • Diabetes may have a protective effect against the development of coronary artery ectasia.

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