Multiple risk factors in coronary artery disease patients with abnormal glucose tolerance

Two hundred twenty five anginal symptomatic patients (37-75 years) undergoing selective coronary angiography were studied to clarify the importance of risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). Serum lipids, apolipoproteins, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1 and A1c, serum insulin levels, hypertension, smoking and obesity were examined as coronary risk factors in 64 newly diagnosed non-insulin dependent diabetic patients (60 +/- 1 (+/- SE)yr), 88 impaired glucose tolerant (IGT) patients (58 +/- 1 yr) and 73 non-diabetic patients (62 +/- 1 yr). Diabetic and IGT patients showed significantly higher coronary atherosclerosis indices than non-diabetic patients (p less than 0.05). In the diabetic and IGT groups, the plasma triglyceride concentrations were significantly higher in the patients with coronary atherosclerosis (CAS) than in either patients without CAS (p less than 0.05) or non-diabetic patients with CAS (p less than 0.05). The prevalence of hypertension in the diabetic patients with CAS was higher than in the non-diabetic patients with CAS. These data suggest that hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension might be important as risk factors in the development of coronary atherosclerosis in persons with an abnormal glucose tolerance.