Artigos Originais February 01, 2006 February 01, 2006

Value of diagnostic tools for myocardial ischemia used in routine clinical practice to predict cardiac events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a prospective study

DOI: 10.1590/S0004-27302006000100007

OBJECTIVE: To analyze tests used in routine clinical practice for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia to predict the development of cardiac events in type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: The occurrence of cardiac events (new myocardial infarct, myocardial re-vascularization procedures, congestive heart failure, acute pulmonary edema, sudden death, and death after myocardial infarction or pulmonary edema) were prospectively assessed in a cohort of 135 type 2 diabetic patients after up to seven years of follow-up. At baseline, coronary artery disease was assessed by the WHO cardiovascular questionnaire, resting electrocardiogram, and stress myocardial scintigraphy. RESULTS: Forty-eight cardiac events were observed in 41 patients (10.5 events/100 patients-year). In a Cox’s proportional-hazard model only the presence of symptoms of coronary artery disease on the WHO cardiovascular questionnaire alone (RR= 2.13, 95% CI 1.11