Cornelis J. Roos

Usefulness of Hypertriglyceridemic Waist Phenotype in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus to Predict the Presence of Coronary Artery Disease as Assessed by Computed Tomographic Coronary Angiography

The present study tested whether in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) the combination of increased waist circumference and increased plasma triglyceride (TG) levels can predict the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) as assessed by multidetector computed tomographic coronary angiography (CTA). In 202 patients with type 2 DM who were clinically referred for CTA, waist circumference and TG levels were measured. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to waist circumference measurements and TG levels. Increased waist circumference and TG levels (n = 61, 31%) indicated the presence of the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype. Patients with low waist circumference and TG (n = 49, 24%) were considered the reference group. Physical examination and blood measurements were performed. CTA was used to determine presence and severity of CAD. In addition, plaque type was evaluated. Plasma cholesterol levels were significantly increased in the group with increased TG levels and waist circumference, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly lower than in the reference group. There was a significant increase in the presence of any CAD (odds ratio 3.3, confidence interval 1.31 to 8.13, p <0.05) and obstructive CAD (≥50%, odds ratio 2.9, confidence interval 1.16 to 7.28, p <0.05) in the group with increased TG level and waist circumference. In addition, a significantly larger number of noncalcified and mixed plaques was observed. In conclusion, in patients with type 2 DM, presence of the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype translated into a deteriorated blood lipid profile and more extensive CAD on CTA. Accordingly, the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype may serve as a practical clinical biomarker to improve risk stratification in patients with type 2 DM.

Changes in multidirectional LV strain in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 2-year follow-up study.

AIMS Asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) may have LV dysfunction as assessed with speckle tracking echocardiography. Whether this subtle LV dysfunction may progress or not over time remains unknown. The present evaluation assessed changes in LV function with two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking analysis in asymptomatic clinically stable patients with type 2 DM and normal LVEF after 2-year follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 112 asymptomatic patients with type 2 DM and normal LVEF (53 ± 10 years, 59% men) were evaluated. Patients remained clinically stable between baseline and follow-up echocardiography. Conventional and 2D speckle tracking echocardiographic measurements were performed. Circumferential strain (CS) and longitudinal strain (LS) were measured to assess systolic function and strain rate during isovolumetric relaxation time (SR IVR) and peak transmitral early diastolic inflow strain rate (SR E) to assess diastolic function. After 2-year follow-up, a significant increase in the LV mass index and significant decrease in the E/A ratio were observed. Left ventricular ejection fraction remained unchanged (59 to 60%, P = 0.4). In contrast, 2D speckle tracking analysis demonstrated a significant impairment in CS (-19.7 ± 4.0 to -18.9 ± 3.8%, P < 0.001), LS (-17.2 ± 2.3 to -16.9 ± 2.7%, P = 0.022), and SR E (from 1.02 ± 0.28 to 0.94 ± 0.25 S(-1), P < 0.001). After adjusting for changes in the LV mass index, only changes in CS and SR E remained significant (P < 0.001 and P = 0.013, respectively). CONCLUSION Asymptomatic patients with type 2 DM and normal LVEF may show mild progression of subclinical LV function assessed with 2D speckle tracking echocardiography. The prognostic implications of these mild changes warrant prospective evaluation.

Cardiovascular metabolic syndrome: mediators involved in the pathophysiology from obesity to coronary heart disease

Patients with obesity and diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for cardiovascular events and have a higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This worse prognosis is partly explained by the late recognition of coronary heart disease in these patients, due to the absence of symptoms. Early identification of coronary heart disease is vital, to initiate preventive medical therapy and improve prognosis. At present, with the use of cardiovascular risk models, the identification of coronary heart disease in these patients remains inadequate. To this end, biomarkers should improve the early identification of patients at increased cardiovascular risk. The first part of this review describes the pathophysiologic pathway from obesity to coronary heart disease. The second part evaluates several mediators from this pathophysiologic pathway for their applicability as biomarkers for the identification of coronary heart disease.

CT coronary angiography is feasible for the assessment of coronary artery disease in chronic dialysis patients, despite high average calcium scores.

Purpose Significant obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is common in asymptomatic dialysis patients. Identifying these high risk patients is warranted and may improve the prognosis of this vulnerable patient group. Routine catheterization of incident dialysis patients has been proposed, but is considered too invasive. CT-angiography may therefore be more appropriate. However, extensive coronary calcification, often present in this patient group, might hamper adequate lumen evaluation. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of CT-angiography in this patient group. Methods For this analysis all patients currently participating in the ICD2 trial (ISRCTN20479861), with no history of PCI or CABG were included. The major epicardial vessels were evaluated on a segment basis (segment 1–3, 5–8, 11 and 13) by a team consisting of an interventional and an imaging specialist. Segments were scored as not significant, significant and not interpretable. Results A total of 70 dialysis patients, with a mean age of 66±8 yrs and predominantly male (70%) were included. The median calcium score was 623 [79, 1619]. Over 90% of the analyzed segments were considered interpretable. The incidence of significant CAD on CT was 43% and was associated with cardiovascular events during follow-up. The incidence of cardiovascular events after 2-years follow-up: 36% vs. 0% in patients with no significant CAD (p<0.01). Conclusion Despite the high calcium scores CT-angiography is feasible for the evaluation of the extent of CAD in dialysis patients. Moreover the presence of significant CAD on CT was associated with events during follow-up.

Prognostic Value of Renal Dysfunction for the Prediction of Outcome Versus Results of Computed Tomographic Coronary Angiography

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with cardiovascular (CV) events caused by advanced atherosclerosis. Computed tomographic coronary angiography (CTA) can accurately diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) and predict CV outcomes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether moderate CKD provides prognostic information for CV events in patients undergoing CTA. In total 885 patients with suspected CAD underwent CTA and were stratified to moderate CKD (85 patients) or no CKD (770 patients) based on a cut-off estimated glomerular filtration rate of 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). After 896 days of follow-up, 42 patients developed CV events. Annualized CV event rates were 1.2% in patients with no CKD and no CAD, 2.5% in patients with moderate CKD alone, 2.5% in patients with obstructive CAD alone, and 3.7% in those with moderate CKD and obstructive CAD. Multivariate models demonstrated that moderate CKD (hazard ratio 2.39, confidence interval 1.09 to 5.21, p = 0.03) and obstructive CAD (hazard ratio 2.76, confidence interval 1.40 to 5.44, p <0.01) were independent predictors of CV events. Importantly, moderate CKD provided incremental prognostic information in addition to clinical characteristics and obstructive CAD (chi-square 49.4, p = 0.04). In conclusion, moderate CKD was associated with CV events and provided incremental prognostic information.

Prevalence by Computed Tomographic Angiography of Coronary Plaques in South Asian and White Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at Low and High Risk Using Four Cardiovascular Risk Scores (UKPDS, FRS, ASCVD, and JBS3)

The aim of this study was to explore the association between various cardiovascular (CV) risk scores and coronary atherosclerotic burden on coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in South Asians with type 2 diabetes mellitus and matched whites. Asymptomatic type 2 diabetic South Asians and whites were matched for age, gender, body mass index, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Ten-year CV risk was estimated using different risk scores (United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study [UKPDS], Framingham Risk Score [FRS], AtheroSclerotic CardioVascular Disease [ASCVD], and Joint British Societies for the prevention of CVD [JBS3]) and categorized into low- and high-risk groups. The presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) and obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD; ≥50% stenosis) was assessed using coronary CTA. Finally, the relation between coronary atherosclerosis on CTA and the low- and high-risk groups was compared. UKPDS, FRS, and ASCVD showed no differences in estimated CV risk between 159 South Asians and 159 matched whites. JBS3 showed a significant greater absolute CV risk in South Asians (18.4% vs 14.2%, p <0.01). Higher presence of CAC score >0 (69% vs 55%, p <0.05) and obstructive CAD (39% vs 27%, p <0.05) was observed in South Asians. South Asians categorized as high risk, using UKPDS, FRS, and ASCVD, showed more CAC and CAD compared than whites. JBS3 showed no differences. In conclusion, asymptomatic South Asians with type 2 diabetes mellitus more frequently showed CAC and obstructive CAD than matched whites in the population categorized as high-risk patients using UKPDS, FRS, and ASCVD as risk estimators. However, JBS3 seems to correlate best to CAC and CAD in both ethnicity groups compared with the other risk scores.

Impact of Diabetes and Increasing Body Mass Index Category on Left Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Function

Background: Diabetes and obesity are both worldwide growing epidemics, and both are independently associated with increased risk for heart failure and death. The aim of this study was to examine the additive detrimental effect of both diabetes and increasing body mass index (BMI) category on left ventricular (LV) myocardial systolic and diastolic function. Methods: The present retrospective multicenter study included 653 patients (337 with type 2 diabetes and 316 without diabetes) of increasing BMI category. All patients had normal LV ejection fractions. LV myocardial systolic (peak systolic global longitudinal strain and peak systolic global longitudinal strain rate) and diastolic (average mitral annular e′ velocity and early diastolic global longitudinal strain rate) function was quantified using echocardiography. Results: Increasing BMI category was associated with progressively more impaired LV myocardial function in patients with diabetes (P < .001). Patients with diabetes had significantly more impaired LV myocardial function for all BMI categories compared with those without diabetes (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, both diabetes and obesity were independently associated with an additive detrimental effect on LV myocardial systolic and diastolic function. However, obesity was associated with greater LV myocardial dysfunction than diabetes. Conclusion: Both diabetes and increasing BMI category had an additive detrimental effect on LV myocardial systolic and diastolic function. Furthermore, increasing BMI category was associated with greater LV myocardial dysfunction than diabetes. As they frequently coexist together, future studies on patients with diabetes should also focus on obesity. HIGHLIGHTSDiabtetics have more impaired LV function in all categories of BMI than controls.BMI and diabetes are independent predictors of impaired LV myocardial function.Increasing BMI and diabetes have an additive detrimental effect on LV function.

Changes in ischaemia as assessed with single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging in high-risk patients with diabetes without cardiac symptoms: relation with coronary atherosclerosis on computed tomography coronary angiography

AIMS The study aims (i) to evaluate changes in myocardial ischaemia on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) after 2 years in a cohort of high-risk patients with diabetes without cardiac symptoms or known coronary artery disease (CAD) and (ii) to assess the value of baseline computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA)-derived coronary atherosclerosis parameters to predict changes in myocardial ischaemia. METHODS AND RESULTS The population consisted of 100 high-risk patients with diabetes without cardiac symptoms referred for cardiovascular risk stratification. All patients underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring, CTA, and SPECT MPI. After 2 years of follow-up, SPECT MPI was repeated to evaluate potential progression of ischaemia.In total, 20% of patients presented with ischaemia at baseline. Of these 20 patients, 7 (35%) still had ischaemia at follow-up, whereas 13 (65%) showed resolution and 4 (20%) showed progression of ischaemia at follow-up. Of the 80 patients without ischaemia at baseline, 65 (81%) had a normal MPI at follow-up and 15 patients (19%) presented with new ischaemia. There were no significant differences in the CAC score or the extent, severity, and composition of CAD on CTA between patients with and without ischaemia at baseline. Similarly, no differences could be demonstrated between patients with and without ischaemia at follow-up or between patients with and without progression of ischaemia. CONCLUSION The rate of progression of ischaemia in high-risk patients with diabetes without cardiac symptoms is limited. Few patients presented with new ischaemia, whereas some patients showed resolution of ischaemia. Atherosclerosis parameters on CTA were not predictive of new-onset ischaemia or progression of ischaemia.