Fabian Schmid

The -11377 C>G promoter variant of the adiponectin gene, prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis, and incidence of vascular events in men.

No prospective data demonstrating an association between the –11377 C>G adiponectin gene promoter variant and cardiovascular risk are available.We therefore prospectively evaluated the cardiovascular risk associated with adiponectin gene single nucleotide polmorphisms (SNPs) including SNP –11377 in a consecutive series of men undergoing coronary angiography. We recorded vascular events over four years in 402 men undergoing coronary angiography for the evaluation of coronary artery disease. No significant associations of SNPs +276 G>T and +45 T>G with serum adiponectin,with significant coronary stenoses >50%, or with vascular events were observed. However, for SNP –11377 C>G, serum adiponectin levels significantly decreased (ptrend = 0.003), and the prevalence of significant coronary stenoses significantly increased from the CC over the GC to the GG genotype (ptrend = 0.004). Prospectively, the risk of vascular events significantly increased from the CC over the CG to the GG genotype of this SNP (adjusted hazard ratios 1.555 [0.957 – 2.525] and 2.309 [1.067 – 4.998],respectively;ptrend = 0.014).The –11377 C>G adiponectin gene promoter variant is i) associated with decreased serum adiponectin levels, ii) correlated with the presence of coronary atherosclerosis and iii) significantly predictive of vascular events among men undergoing coronary angiography.

Post-challenge hyperglycaemia is strongly associated with future macrovascular events and total mortality in angiographied coronary patients

AIMS The prevalence of post-challenge hyperglycaemia in coronary patients is high. Until now, it is unclear whether post-challenge hyperglycaemia is associated with an increased risk for future macrovascular events in this clinically important patient population. METHODS AND RESULTS We enrolled 1040 patients undergoing coronary angiography for the evaluation of suspected or established coronary artery disease. In patients without previously established diabetes mellitus, an oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) was performed. Prospectively, mortality and macrovascular events were recorded over a mean follow-up period of 3.8 years. From our patients, 394 had normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 280 post-challenge hyperglycaemia (this subgroup includes both impaired glucose tolerance and post-challenge diabetes) and 366 had conventional diabetes. The incidence of macrovascular events was significantly higher in patients with post-challenge hyperglycaemia as well as in patients with conventional diabetes than in subjects with NGT (23.6 and 29.5% vs. 18.5%; P = 0.013 and P < 0.001, respectively). Adjusted hazard ratios were 1.46 (95% CI 1.03-2.07, P = 0.033) for patients with post-challenge hyperglycaemia and 1.73 (1.25-2.37, P = 0.001) for patients with conventional diabetes. CONCLUSION Post-challenge hyperglycaemia is associated with future macrovascular events in patients undergoing coronary angiography for the evaluation of stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Oral glucose tolerance tests in this high-risk population thus identify patients with a particularly unfavourable prognosis.

Diabetes as a coronary artery disease risk equivalent: before a change of paradigm?

Background Current guidelines consider diabetes per se as a coronary artery disease (CAD) risk equivalent. We aimed at investigating the contribution of baseline coronary atherosclerosis to the risk of diabetic patients for future vascular events. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Vascular events were recorded over 4 years in 750 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography for the evaluation of stable CAD. Results From our patients, 244 had neither type 2 diabetes (T2DM) nor significant CAD (i.e. coronary stenoses ≥ 50%) at the baseline angiography, 50 had T2DM but not significant CAD, 342 did not have T2DM but had significant CAD, and 114 had both T2DM and significant CAD. Nondiabetic patients without significant CAD had an event rate of 9.0%. The event rate was similar in T2DM patients without significant CAD (8.0%, P = 0.951), but higher in nondiabetic patients with significant CAD (24.9%, P < 0.001). Patients with T2DM and significant CAD had the highest event rate (43.0%). Importantly, T2DM patients without significant CAD had a significantly lower event rate than nondiabetic patients with significant CAD (P = 0.008). Conclusion T2DM per se is not a CAD risk equivalent. Moderate-risk diabetic patients without significant CAD and very high-risk diabetic patients with significant CAD add up to a grand total of high-risk diabetic patients, this is why diabetes seems to be a CAD risk equivalent in many epidemiological studies.

Effectiveness of Atrial Fibrillation as an Independent Predictor of Death and Coronary Events in Patients Having Coronary Angiography

The impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on future coronary events is uncertain. In particular, the prognostic impact of AF in the clinically important population of coronary patients who undergo angiography is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate (1) the prevalence of AF, (2) its association with coronary atherosclerosis, and (3) its impact on future coronary events in patients who undergo angiography. Electrocardiograms were evaluated in a consecutive series of 613 patients who underwent coronary angiography. Prospectively, death and cardiovascular events were recorded over 4.0 +/- 0.6 years. Among these patients, 37 (6%) at baseline had AF, and 576 (94%) were in sinus rhythm. The presence of AF was associated with a lower prevalence of coronary artery disease and of coronary diameter narrowing >or=50% on baseline angiography. However, prospectively, patients with AF were at a strongly increased risk for all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 5.15, 95% confidence interval 2.36 to 11.26, p <0.001), coronary death (hazard ratio 8.16, 95% confidence interval 2.89 to 23.09, p <0.001), and major coronary events (hazard ratio 3.80, 95% confidence interval 1.45 to 9.94, p = 0.007). In conclusion, although inversely associated with the presence of angiographically determined coronary atherosclerosis, AF is a strong predictor of death and future coronary events in patients with coronary artery disease who undergo coronary angiography.