Race and survival among diabetic patients after coronary artery bypass grafting

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Diabetology
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus is a significant risk factor for reduced long-term survival following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
• Existing research has not thoroughly examined potential racial differences in long-term survival outcomes among diabetic patients who have undergone CABG.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare long-term survival rates in diabetic patients after CABG, specifically examining differences between Black and White individuals.
• To determine if race influences survival outcomes in diabetic patients undergoing this major cardiac procedure.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 13,053 patients who underwent CABG between 1992 and 2011.
• Survival outcomes were compared between diabetic and non-diabetic patients, with analyses stratified by race.
• Cox regression models were utilized to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for long-term survival.

Main Results:

• The study included 35% of patients with diabetes at the time of surgery (1,655 Black patients, 2,884 White patients).
• Median follow-up was 8.2 years.
• Adjusted analyses revealed similar long-term survival for both Black and White diabetic patients (adjusted HR = 1.5 for both groups), indicating no significant difference in survival disadvantage based on race.

Conclusions:

• This study did not find evidence of a survival disadvantage for Black diabetic patients compared to White diabetic patients undergoing CABG.
• The findings suggest that race does not appear to be a significant factor in long-term survival outcomes for diabetic individuals after this procedure.