[Frequency of silent ischemic heart disease in patients with diabetes mellitus]

Early detection of silent ischaemia plays an important role in prevention of sudden cardiac death and acute myocardial infarction. More frequent occurrence of silent ischaemia in patients with diabetes mellitus and manifestations of ischaemic heart disease has been relayed in several studies. No studies aimed at frequency of occurrence of silent ischaemia in diabetic patients without clinical symptoms of ischaemic heart disease have been performed yet. Objectives of this study were the examination of the latter case. This study involved 67 patients with diabetes mellitus without clinical symptoms of ischaemic heart disease. The average duration time of diabetes mellitus was 11 years. The patients were divided in two groups. The first group included 26 patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. The second group included 41 patients with non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. The first control group consisted of 35 non diabetic patients with ischaemic heart disease, and the second control group consisted of 22 healthy volunteers. 24-hours ambulatory Holter monitoring and ECG exercise test were performed in all subjects. The diagnosis of silent ischaemia was established in patients with positive results of both examinations in ECG-records without any following pain. In case of only one positive results the dipyridamole stress echocardiography test with ECG was carried out to prove the diagnosis. It was proved, that silent ischaemia occurs in 19.2% of patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and in 22% non insulin diabetic patients. No statistic differences between frequency of silent ischaemia occurrence in both groups were revealed. The application of 24-hours Holter monitoring combined with ECG-exercise stress test seems to be the best method in early recognition of silent ischaemia in diabetic patients.