Screening coronary angiography in patients with long-standing diabetes mellitus undergoing kidney transplant...

The utility of coronary angiography in patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing kidney transplant evaluation is unclear. Predictors of critical angiography lesions in these patients will aid in appropriate use of angiography.

Single-center study of 80 patients with ≥15 years of diabetes mellitus who underwent a screening coronary angiography despite a negative cardiac stress test. Risk factors for needing coronary intervention (CI) (percutaneous or bypass grafting) were analyzed.

Eighteen patients (23%) had a ≥70% occlusion in one or more major coronary vessel(s), with right coronary artery being the most commonly involved (71%). Fifteen patients (19%) underwent coronary intervention: ten percutaneously and five with bypass surgery. Risk factors for needing CI were not being on statin (OR 3.54, P = 0.047) and history of stroke or peripheral vascular disease (PVD; OR 3.5, P = 0.034). A model that included statin use, stroke/PVD history, and glycosylated hemoglobin had a receiver operating characteristic curve area under the curve of 0.8 to predict CI.

Despite a negative stress test, the prevalence of critical coronary lesions was high among kidney transplant candidates with long-standing diabetes. Risk factors for needing coronary intervention were absence of statin use and a history of stroke or peripheral vascular disease.