Multiple Risk Factors in Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Abnormal Glucose Tolerance

Abstract

Two hundred twenty five anginal symptomatic patients (37-75 years) undergoing selective coronary angiography were studied to clarify the importance of risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). Serum lipids, apolipoproteins, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A₁ and A_1c, serum insulin levels, hypertension, smoking and obesity were examined as coronary risk factors in 64 newly diagnosed non-insulin dependent diabetic patients (60±1(±SE)yr), 88 impaired glucose tolerant (IGT) patients (58±1yr) and 73 non-diabetic patients (62±1yr). Diabetic and IGT patients showed significantly higher coronary atherosclerosis indices than non-diabetic patients (p<0.05). In the diabetic and IGT groups, the plasma triglyceride concentrations were significantly higher in the patients with coronary atherosclerosis (CAS) than in either patients without CAS (p<0.05) or non-diabetic patients with CAS (p<0.05). The prevalence of hypertension in the diabetic patients with CAS was higher than in the non-diabetic patients with CAS. These data suggest that hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension might be important as risk factors in the development of coronary atherosclerosis in persons with an abnormal glucose tolerance.