Anatomy of coronary disease in diabetic patients: an explanation for poorer outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention and potential target for intervention

There are over 1.3 million known diabetic patients in the UK and a similar number who have the disease undiagnosed. Over 90% have non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus usually characterised by insulin resistance and adult onset. Over half of all diabetic patients die of coronary disease and account for over a fifth of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) revascularisation procedures. Despite recent therapeutic advances such as new antiplatelet treatments and drug eluting stents, outcomes for diabetic patients after PCI are still significantly worse than for non-diabetic patients. This article summarises what is known about the pattern and severity of diabetic coronary disease, what mechanisms are responsible for these differences, and whether this information can help explain the poorer prognosis for these patients after PCI and form the basis of interventions to improve outcome.