Does diabetes increase the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with negative treadmill stress echocardiography?

Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rates are considered to be high in patients with diabetes despite negative stress test results; however, little data are available to support this supposition. We compared the long-term cardiovascular events between patients with diabetes and those without diabetes with negative treadmill stress echocardiography and evaluated the predictors for cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes. A total of 1,243 consecutive patients (mean age, 56 +/- 10 years; non-diabetics: diabetics, 975:268; mean follow-up of 5 years) with negative treadmill stress echocardiography were evaluated. Clinical data were examined, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs, a composite of coronary revascularization, acute myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death) were compared between the non-diabetic and diabetic groups. In the population matched by clinical characteristics, the diabetic and non-diabetic groups had similar occurrence of MACEs (non-diabetics vs. diabetics = 5% versus 7%; p = 0.329) and event-free survival. MACEs in the diabetic group were associated with elevated early diastolic velocity of the mitral inflow/mitral annulus (E/e') ratio, indicative of diastolic dysfunction. The absence of statin and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor use and use of sulfonylureas were also predictors of more MACEs. In conclusion, long-term cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes and negative stress echocardiography were comparable to those in patients without diabetes. However, appropriate monitoring of diastolic dysfunction, statin use, and individualized antidiabetic drug selection are required to reduce the cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes.

Automated summary

Despite the perception of higher cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes, this study suggests that the occurrence of cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes, who have negative results on stress echocardiography, is comparable to those without diabetes. Monitoring diastolic dysfunction, appropriate use of statins, and individualized selection of antidiabetic drugs are essential in reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes.