Objective: To evaluate the effect of prior duration of diabetes, glycated hemoglobin level at study entry, and microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria on the extent and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral arterial disease.
Patients and methods: We studied baseline characteristics of the 2368 participants of the BARI 2D (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes) study, a randomized clinical trial that evaluates treatment efficacy for patients with type 2 diabetes and angiographically documented stable CAD. Patients were enrolled from January 1, 2001, through March 31, 2005. Peripheral arterial disease was ascertained by an ankle-brachial index (ABI) of 0.9 or less, and extent of CAD was measured by presence of multivessel disease, a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of less than 50%, and myocardial jeopardy index.
Results: Duration of diabetes of 20 or more years was associated with increased risk of ABI of 0.9 or less (odds ratio [OR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-2.26), intermittent claudication (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.10-2.35), and LVEF of less than 50% (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.37-3.02). Microalbuminuria was associated with intermittent claudication (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.16-2.02) and ABI of 0.9 or less (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.98-1.75), whereas macroalbuminuria was associated with abnormal ABI, claudication, and LVEF of less than 50%. There was a significant association between diabetes duration and extent of CAD as manifested by number of coronary lesions, but no other significant associations were observed between duration of disease, glycated hemoglobin levels, or albumin-to-creatinine ratio and other manifestations of CAD.
Conclusion: Duration of diabetes and microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria are important predictors of severity of peripheral arterial disease and left ventricular dysfunction in a cohort of patients selected for the presence of CAD.