Is There any Correlation Between Pulmonary and Coronary Involvement in Diabetic Patients?

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pulmonology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus affects over 8.5% of adults globally, increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
• The relationship between diabetes-related macrovascular complications like coronary artery disease (CAD) and pulmonary function is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between obstructive and restrictive lung patterns and the severity of coronary artery involvement in diabetic patients.
• To explore the impact of age, sex, and glycemic control on pulmonary function in this population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 211 diabetic patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG).
• Patients were categorized into non-significant CAD (n=69) and significant CAD (n=142) groups.
• Spirometry assessed forced expiratory volume (FEV), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV/FVC ratio, with adjustments for age and sex.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in spirometric parameters (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC) were found between CAD severity groups.
• Advancing age correlated negatively with FEF50% and FVC.
• Multivariate analysis revealed inverse relationships between age and peak expiratory flow (PEF), and between HbA1C levels and PEF.
• Female sex was associated with lower %FEV1/FVC ratios.

Conclusions:

• The study did not establish a direct association between spirometry findings and coronary artery involvement in diabetic patients.
• A significant relationship was observed between small airway involvement and glycemic control (HbA1C levels).
• Pulmonary function assessment may offer insights into metabolic control in diabetes, independent of CAD severity.