Significant coronary stenosis in asymptomatic Chinese with different glycemic status

To evaluate coronary artery stenosis in early diabetes or prediabetes asymptomatic of myocardial ischemia in community-dwelling Chinese adults.

Age- and sex-matched participants with normal glucose regulation (NGR), prediabetes, or diabetes diagnosed within 5 years, asymptomatic of coronary artery disease (CAD), were randomly selected from a community-dwelling Chinese population aged 40-60 years. Dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography was used to evaluate the existence and extent of coronary stenosis, which was considered significant if >50% narrowing of vessel lumen was detected.

After excluding uninterpretable segments attributable to motion artifacts, a total of 135 participants with NGR, 132 with prediabetes, and 134 with diabetes participated in data analysis. Significant coronary stenosis was detected in 10 (7.4%), 10 (7.6%), and 22 (16.4%) individuals with NGR, prediabetes, and diabetes, respectively (P for trend = 0.029). Diabetes, rather than prediabetes, was associated with a significant 2.34-fold elevated risk [odds ratio (OR) 2.34 (95% CI 1.01-5.43); P = 0.047] of significant coronary stenosis as compared with that associated with NGR. Levels of glucose evaluation were independently and significantly associated with risks of significant coronary stenosis in diabetes. Each 1-SD increase in fasting plasma glucose, 2-h postload plasma glucose, and HbA1c conveyed 2.11-fold, 1.73-fold, and 1.81-fold higher risks of significant coronary stenosis, respectively, after adjustment for other conventional cardiovascular risk factors.

Using a noninvasive CAD diagnostic modality such as dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography, we detected a markedly elevated risk of significant coronary stenosis with early diabetes in asymptomatic Chinese adults.