Plaque volume and plaque risk profile in diabetic vs. non-diabetic patients undergoing lipid-lowering therapy: a study based on 3D intravascular ultrasound and virtual histology

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) or pre-diabetes status is closely associated with features of vulnerable coronary lesions in patients with stable coronary heart disease or acute coronary syndrome. However, the association between duration of diabetes and the morphologies and features of vulnerable plaques has not been fully investigated in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods We enrolled a total of 279 patients who presented with AMI between March 2017 and March 2019 and underwent pre-intervention optical coherence tomography imaging of culprit lesions. Patients with DM were divided into two subgroups: a Short-DM group with DM duration of < 10 years and a Long-DM group with DM duration of ≥ 10 years. Baseline clinical data and culprit-plaque characteristics were compared between patients without DM (the non-DM group), those in the Short-DM group, and those in the Long-DM group. Results Patients with DM represented 34.1% of the study population (95 patients). The Short- and Long-DM groups included 64 (67.4%) and 31 patients (32.6%), respectively. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were significantly higher in the Long-DM group than the Non- or Short-DM groups (8.4% [Long-DM] versus 5.7% [Non-DM] and 7.6% [Short-DM], P < 0.001). In addition, the highest prevalence of lipid-rich plaques, thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), and plaque ruptures of culprit lesions were observed in the Long-DM group (lipid-rich plaques: 80.6% [Long-DM] versus 52.2% [Non-DM] and 62.5% [Short-DM], P = 0.007; TCFA: 41.9% [Long-DM] versus 19.6% [Non-DM] and 31.3% [Short-DM], P = 0.012; plaque rupture: 74.2% [Long-DM] versus 46.7% [Non-DM] and 48.4% [Short-DM], P = 0.017). The frequency of calcification was significantly higher among patients with DM than among those without (62.1% versus 46.2%, P = 0.016); however, no significant differences were found between the DM subgroups (61.3% [Long-DM] versus 62.5% [Short-DM], P = 0.999). Conclusions Increased duration of DM combined with higher HbA1c levels influences culprit-plaque characteristics in patients with DM who suffer AMI. These findings might account for the higher risks of cardiac death in DM patients with long disease duration. Trial registration This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03593928

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Relationships of coronary culprit-plaque characteristics with duration of diabetes mellitus in acute myocardial infarction: an intravascular optical coherence tomography study

Sheng

Zhou

Liu

et al. 2019

“…A population-based CVD risk prediction model for Asian people with type 2 DM should be developed to allow for better management. The thresholds for initiating treatment of abnormal lipid levels and the optimal goals of lipid-altering therapy may also differ according to ethnicity or population [31–33].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cholesterol levels and development of cardiovascular disease in Koreans with type 2 diabetes mellitus and without pre-existing cardiovascular disease

Kim

Han

Joung

et al. 2019

BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to identify a threshold for the cholesterol level at which the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) begins to increase in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).MethodsUsing the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 2,077,135 people aged ≥ 40 years with type 2 DM who underwent regular health checks between 2009 and 2012 were included. Subjects with previous CVD were excluded. Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate the risk of CVD for each low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) group using the < 70 mg/dL as the reference group.ResultsThere were 78,560 cases of stroke (3.91%), and 50,791 myocardial infarction (MI, 2.53%) during a median follow-up of 7.1 years. Among participants not taking statins, LDL-C levels of 130–159 mg/dL and ≥ 160 mg/dL were significantly associated with the risk of MI: the hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence interval) were 1.19 (1.14–1.25) and 1.53 (1.46–1.62), respectively. Among participants taking statins, all categories of LDL-C level ≥ 70 mg/dL were significantly associated with increased risk of stroke and MI.ConclusionsWe identified an increased risk of CVD in people with an LDL-C level ≥ 130 mg/dL among individuals with type 2 DM not taking statins. The risk of CVD was significantly higher in those taking statins with an LDL-C level ≥ 70 mg/dL.

“…Positive remodeling is commonly associated with vulnerable plaque characterized by greater plaque volume, necrotic core [ 31 ] and thinning change of the fibrous cap [ 32 ]. In diabetic patients, advanced plaque phenotype and further atherosclerosis progression could still be found despite lipid-lowering therapy [ 33 ]. Worse glucose control and higher blood glucose variability were documented to independently increase lipid and decrease fibrous contents with larger plaque burden and necrotic core volume through various mechanisms [ 34 – 39 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increased glycated albumin and decreased esRAGE levels in serum are related to negative coronary artery remodeling in patients with type 2 diabetes: an Intravascular ultrasound study

Zhang

Lü

et al. 2018

BackgroundNegative coronary artery remodeling is frequent in patients with diabetes, but its mechanism remains unclear. We here evaluated the association of serum levels of glycated albumin (GA) and endogenous secretory receptor for advanced glycation end products (esRAGE) with coronary artery remodeling in type 2 diabetic patients.MethodsSerum levels of GA and esRAGE were measured and intravascular ultrasound was performed in 136 consecutive diabetic patients with 143 coronary intermediate lesions. The remodeling index (RI) was calculated as the ratio between external elastic membrane (EEM) area at the lesion site and EEM area at the reference segment. Negative remodeling (NR) was defined as an RI < 0.95 and intermediate or positive remodeling as an RI ≥ 0.95.ResultsMean plaque burden at the lesion site was 70.96 ± 9.98%, and RI was 0.96 ± 0.18. Negative coronary arterial remodeling existed in 81 (56.6%) lesions. RI correlated closely with serum esRAGE level (r = 0.236, P = 0.005) and was inversely related to serum GA level (r = − 0.240, P = 0.004) and plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (r = − 0.206, P = 0.014) and total cholesterol levels (r = − 0.183, P = 0.028). Generalized estimating equations logistic regression analysis identified esRAGE (OR 0.037; 95% CI 0.012–0.564, P = 0.021), GA (OR 1.093; 95% CI 1.013–1.179, P = 0.018) and LDL-C (OR 1.479; 95% CI 1.072–2.835, P = 0.023) as independent predictors for negative remodeling.ConclusionsIn diabetic patients, negative coronary artery remodeling is associated with increased GA and decreased esRAGE levels in serum.