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Relationship of cardiovascular risk factors, pericardial fat, and carotid thickness with coronary plaque type in patients with diabetes mellitus

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Abstract

Background

There is paucity of data on the potential predictors of coronary plaque types among patients with diabetes mellitus(DM).

Aims

To assess the association of cardiovascular risk factors, pericardial fat volume (PFV) assessed by multi-detector CT(MDCT)angiography, and internal carotid intima media thickness with coronary atherosclerotic plaque types in patients with type 2 DM.

Patients and methods

Patients with suspected coronary artery disease who underwent 64-slice MDCT angiography were enrolled in this retrospective study.

Results

A total of 784 patients were enrolled in this study, 198 of whom had DM and 586 of whom did not. The prevalence of calcified and mixed plaques was significantly higher in the DM group than without DM group, while no significant difference was found in the distribution of non-calcified plaque between groups. There was significant association between smoking [OR(CI) = 4(2–10),P = 0.001] and increased age[OR(CI) = 1.1(1-1.3),P = 0.023] and calcified plaque presence. Regarding mixed and non-calcified plaque, increased PFV[OR(CI) = 1.1(1-1.3),P = 0.001] and positive family history[OR(CI) = 4(2–12),P = 0.049] showed a significant association with coronary mixed plaque presence while no significant association was observed between cardiovascular risk factors, PFV, and internal carotid intima media thickness and non-calcified plaque presence in patients with DM.

Conclusion

Increased PFV showed significant and independent association with mixed coronary plaques development, which suggests that PFV may be used as an imaging marker for early detection of increased risk for future coronary events in patients with DM.

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Funding

There were no external funding sources for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Internal medicine department, Medicine College, University of Kufa, P.O. 21, Kufa, Najaf, Iraq

    Hussein Nafakhi

  2. Radiology department, Medicine college, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq

    Hayder Qassim Elwali & Abdulameer A Al-Mosawi

  3. Diabetes and endocrine center, Al-Sader teaching medical city, Najaf health directorate, Najaf, Iraq

    Kareem M Khalaf Al-Sharea

Authors
  1. Hussein Nafakhi
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  2. Hayder Qassim Elwali
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  3. Kareem M Khalaf Al-Sharea
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  4. Abdulameer A Al-Mosawi
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Correspondence to Hussein Nafakhi.

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The study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board.

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The study protocol was performed according to the principles stated in the Declaration of Helsinki as revised in 2000.

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Nafakhi, H., Elwali, H.Q., Al-Sharea, K.M.K. et al. Relationship of cardiovascular risk factors, pericardial fat, and carotid thickness with coronary plaque type in patients with diabetes mellitus. J Diabetes Metab Disord 22, 713–719 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-023-01190-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-023-01190-9

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