Study of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risk of atherosclerosis. The early recognition of atherosclerosis at its subclinical stages can slow or prevent progression to atherosclerotic diseases, including coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease. Objective: Identification of the relationship between T2DM and subclinical atherosclerosis and to explore factors that can be associated with a high risk of subclinical atherosclerosis. Patients and Methods: We recruited 75 participants among whom 50 T2DM while 25 were controls. Patients with T2DM were subdivided into two equal groups, well-controlled and uncontrolled. After complete history and examination, investigations including fasting and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and serum triglyceride (TG) levels were obtained. All participants underwent duplex ultrasound that was used to measure carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as a biomarker of subclinical atherosclerosis. Results: Uncontrolled diabetics had increased cIMT than well-controlled diabetics and well-controlled diabetics had increased cIMT than non-diabetics. There was a highly significant positive correlation between cIMT and duration of diabetes in both well-controlled and uncontrolled diabetic groups. In the uncontrolled diabetic group only, there was a highly significant positive correlation between cIMT and each of hs-CRP and TG levels. Conclusion:The risk of subclinical atherosclerosis is higher in type 2 diabetic patients especially in those with uncontrolled diabetes. In uncontrolled diabetics, subclinical atherosclerosis is associated with hypertriglyceridemia and elevated hs-CRP level.

Correlation of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness with One-hour Postload Plasma Glucose (1h-PPG) in Overweight and Obese North Indian Adults

“…A recent literature found that individuals with uncontrolled diabetes had thicker CIMT than their nondiabetic and well controlled diabetic counterparts, but there was no correlation between 2 h-PPG and CIMT values, similar to our observation. [18] These findings suggest the superior nature of intermediate hyperglycemia in diagnosing early atherosclerosis. Furthermore, Tenjin et al .…”