Coronary Artery Calcium Score as a Risk Enhancer in Pre-Diabetics
Abstract
Introduction: Among all the risk factors for atherosclerosis, diabetes is one that has a direct causal association with it, so it has been a focus in major primary prevention studies. The prediabetic population is considered at the same risk as nondiabetics as per the latest guidelines. By using the Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) which is a predictor of cardiovascular events, in this subset of people authors tried to analyse whether prediabetics can be treated the same as non-diabetics.
Methods: Patients undergoing CT coronary angiography with no major epicardial coronary artery obstruction were included and divided into three subgroups of non-diabetic, pre-diabetic and diabetic. Their CACS were measured and compared for any significance.
Results: A total of 300 patients were part of the study with 100 patients in each subgroup. The mean age of the population was 48 years. Lipid profile was significantly deranged in the non-diabetic and pre-diabetic subgroup as they were not on any therapy. CACS was 5.4 ± 37.37, 98.02 ± 300.89, 209.47 ± 277.61 in non-diabetic, pre-diabetic and diabetic subgroups respectively. The CACS was much higher in the pre-diabetic subgroup of people missing statistical significance by only a small margin.
Conclusion: From this observational study authors conclude that prediabetics are at much higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events than non-diabetics and so when it comes to primary prevention therapy, they should not be considered in the same risk category as non-diabetics.
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