Cardiovascular Events In Type Research Articles

Valutazione economica dello studio CARDS

Introduction: cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major component of premature mortality, generate disability and are a relevant source of cost. The growing incidence of CVD is associated with lifestyle and other modifiable risk factors. Prevention and preclinical detection of CVD reduce morbidity and mortality. Type 2 diabetes is associated with a substantially increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective: the aim of the study was to evaluate the health economic consequence of medical therapy with atorvastatin for primary prevention of major cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes in Italy. Materials and method: in order to reach our objective we drew clinical information from the CARDS study. This economic evaluation was carried out conducting a cost/effectiveness analysis from the perspective of National Health Service (NHS). The analysis was applied to a time horizon in conformity with the observational period adopted in the CARDS study (3.9 years). An incremental cost/effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated and is expressed as cost per life years gained (LYG). In order to test the robustness of the results, a one-way sensitivity analysis was performed. Results: the total cost of atorvastatin therapy over 3.9 years amounts to around 1.5 million of euros per 1,000 patients. The total cost of adding atorvastatin to standard care in people treated for primary prevention of major cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes as those involved in the CARDS study would entail an additional cost of about 1,2 million of euros per 1,000 patients treated per 3.9 years, with an incremental cost/effectiveness ratio (ICER) equivalent to 36,566 euros per patient per LYG. Discussion: the current study is the first economic evaluation of CARDS study to the Italian situation. The results of the current study show that hypolipemic therapy with atorvastatin 10 mg in diabetic individuals is to be considered cost effective.

Rationale for the Use of Insulin Sensitizers to Prevent Cardiovascular Events in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are a major problem in clinical practice, and patients with diabetes have derived less benefit from advances in preventive and interventional cardiology. Tighter goals for metabolic management and attention to nontraditional risk factors may be needed in this patient group. Insulin resistance rather than hyperinsulinemia is thought to underlie cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes. Insulin resistance is associated with cardiovascular events and a wide range of traditional and nontraditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease (e.g., endothelial dysfunction, dyslipidemia, inflammation, vascular wall abnormalities). Therapy with lifestyle modifications, metformin, or thiazolidinediones (TZDs) corrects many of the abnormalities associated with diabetes in addition to lowering blood glucose and correcting diabetic dyslipidemia. TZDs, acting via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor–γ, affect a number of mediators involved in the development of the cardiovascular complications of diabetes, including lipid profiles, vascular changes, and inflammatory mediators. TZDs decrease plasminogen activator–1 and C-reactive protein levels. They also reduce the extent of thickening of the carotid artery and reduce hyperplasia after coronary stent implantation. Insulin-sensitizing therapy with TZDs is a promising intervention for patients with diabetes at risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is Independently Associated With an Increased Incidence of Cardiovascular Events in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Recent data suggest that the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in type 2 diabetes may be linked to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) independent of components of the metabolic syndrome (1–3), although this hypothesis needs verification in larger studies. We assessed whether NAFLD, as diagnosed by ultrasound, predicts the risk of incident CVD events in a large cohort of type 2 diabetic adults. Study subjects were participants in the Valpolicella Heart Diabetes Study (1). Briefly, we enrolled all of the type 2 diabetic outpatients ( n = 2,103) who regularly attended our clinic in the period January–December 2000 after excluding those who had manifest CVD and/or secondary causes of chronic liver disease (alcohol abuse, viral infection, or medications). The local ethics committee approved the study. All participants provided written informed consent. During 6.5 years of follow-up (through December 2006; follow-up range: 5–84 months), 384 participants subsequently developed CVD events (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, coronary revascularization, or cardiovascular death), whereas 1,719 patients remained free of diagnosed CVD. These events were ascertained by patient history, chart review, autopsy reports, and family contact (1). Plasma liver enzymes, A1C, and other biochemical blood measurements were determined by standard procedures. At baseline, most participants (∼86%) had normal liver enzymes (reference ranges for aminotransferases were 10–35 and 10–50 units/l for female and male subjects, respectively) and were abstainers (77%) or drank minimally (13%); only 10% of participants …

Renal function and risk for cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients with hypertension: the RENAAL and LIFE studies

To investigate whether a threshold exists for cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetic patients with hypertension, the association between renal function and cardiovascular risk was examined across the entire physiological range of serum creatinine. The RENAAL and LIFE studies enrolled 1513 and 1195 patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, respectively. The relationship between baseline serum creatinine and the risk for a composite outcome of myocardial infarction, stroke or cardiovascular death was examined using Cox regression models. To adjust for heterogeneity between studies and treatment groups, these factors were included as strata when applicable. The analyses were conducted with adjustment for age, gender, smoking, alcohol use, blood pressure, heart rate, total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, hemoglobin, albuminuria and prior cardiovascular disease. The hazard ratios across the baseline serum creatinine categories < 0.9 mg/dl, 0.9-1.2 mg/dl, 1.2-1.6 mg/dl, 1.6-2.8 mg/dl and >or= 2.8 mg/dl were 0.51 (95% confidence interval 0.34, 0.74), 0.74 (0.55, 1.00), 1.00 (reference), 1.24 (0.96, 1.59) and 1.67 (1.17, 2.91), respectively. Baseline serum creatinine (per mg/dl) strongly predicted the composite cardiovascular endpoint in LIFE [2.82(1.74,4.56), P < 0.001], RENAAL [1.41(1.12,1.79), P < 0.001], as well as the combined studies [1.51(1.21,1.87), P < 0.001]. A progressively higher risk for the composite cardiovascular endpoint was observed with incremental baseline serum creatinine in type 2 diabetic patients with hypertension, even within the normal range. Thus, there appears to be no serum creatinine threshold level for an increased cardiovascular risk. Baseline serum creatinine was a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (www.ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00308347).

Review: pioglitazone does not reduce risk of mortality or cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes

Source Citation Richter B, Bandeira-Echtler E, Bergerhoff K, Clar C, Ebrahim SH. Pioglitazone for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;(4):CD006060. 17054272

Review: Pioglitazone does not reduce risk for mortality or cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes

Review: Pioglitazone does not reduce risk for mortality or cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes

Xuezhikang, An Extract of Cholestin, Reduces Cardiovascular Events in Type 2 Diabetes Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: Subgroup Analysis of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes From China Coronary Secondary Prevention Study (CCSPS)

Lipid-lowering therapy has been proven to reduce macrovascular complications of type 2 diabetes. Xuezhikang is an extract of cholestin and has a markedly modulating effect on lipids, but the effect of xuezhikang on reducing coronary events in diabetic patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) is less clear. A total of 591 diabetic patients with CHD were randomized to the xuezhikang group (n=306) and the placebo group (n=285). During the average 4 years of follow-up, there were 28 cases of CHD events (9.2%) in the xuezhikang group and 53 cases (18.6%) in the placebo group. Risk reduction for CHD events was 50.8% (P<0.001) by xuezhikang treatment. Xuezhikang decreased the risk of non-fatal MI by 63.8%, fatal MI by 58.5%, CHD sudden death by 26.9%, and other CHD death by 53.4%. CHD death totaled to 21 cases in the xuezhikang group (6.9%) and 35 cases in the placebo group (12.3%), indicating that xuezhikang significantly decreased the risk of CHD death by 44.1% (P<0.05). Seventy-two patients died from various causes, among which there were 27 patients in the xuezhikang group and 45 patients in the placebo group. The risk for all-cause death was 44.1% lower in the xuezhikang group than in the placebo group (P<0.01). This investigation demonstrates that xuezhikang therapy can be effective on reduction of cardiovascular events in diabetic patients with CHD with a reliable safety.

Low Plasma Levels of FGF‐2 and PDGF‐BB Are Associated with Cardiovascular Events in Type II Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes Heart Study)

Objective: We tested associations of the growth factors VEGF, FGF-2, HGF and PDGF-BB with coronary artery calcium scores and cardiovascular events (CVD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A cross-sectional study selected 40 frequency matched (by age, gender and race) subjects with T2DM from the first (0–111) and the third (> 1400) coronary artery calcium (CAC) score tertiles in the Diabetes Heart Study (DHS), in which 36 were with and 41 were without history of CVD events. Plasma levels of VEGF, FGF-2, HGF and PDGF-BB were measured in all subjects. Results: None of the growth factors was significantly different between the first and third CAC score tertiles. Mean plasma FGF-2 and PDGF-BB levels were significantly higher in the group without prior CVD events compared with the group with prior CVD events [mean(95%CI): 219.20 (194.42–247.15) vs. 152.93 (135.64–172.43) pg/ml, p = 0.03] and [mean(95%CI): 106.70 (89.12–127.74) vs. 61.56 (50.91–74.44) pg/ml, p = 0.03], respectively. Subgroup analysis in the first CAC tertile showed a significantly higher PDGF-BB levels in those without compared with those with CVD events [mean (95%CI): 208.36 (190.57–228.15) vs. 102.93 (80.64–125.21) pg/ml, p = 0.004]. Conclusion: Plasma growth factor levels were not significantly different between the extremes of CAC scores in T2DM. However, low plasma levels of PDGF-BB and FGF-2 are associated with prior cardiovascular events in T2DM. Studies are needed to confirm our results and also to establish temporality of this association.

Dual Blockade of the Renin-Angiotensin System in the Progression of Renal Disease

There is clear evidence that pharmacologic blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) reduces proteinuria and slows the progression of renal disease in diabetic and nondiabetic nephropathies, a beneficial effect that is not related to BP control. Some patients exhibit a significant beneficial response, whereas others do not. The absence of response may be explained by the incomplete blockade of the RAS obtained with ACEI. In the search of new alternatives that could improve the antiproteinuric and nephroprotective effects of RAS blockers, the association of ACEI and ARB might prove useful. ARB produces a complete blockade of the RAS. Several studies have shown a more marked antiproteinuric effect of the dual blockade of the RAS versus ACEI or ARB alone. A recent study also demonstrated that this more marked antiproteinuric effect is associated with less progression of renal disease in primary nondiabetic nephropathies despite a similar effect on BP. Until now, there has not been any reference to a beneficial effect on progression of the dual blockade in type 2 diabetic nephropathy, which is the most frequent cause of ESRD. A multicenter, prospective, open, active-controlled, and parallel-group trial was designed to compare the effects of an ACE inhibitor versus an ARB or its combination on renal disease progression, proteinuria, and cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

Atorvastatin did not prevent cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes

Source Citation Knopp RH, d’Emden M, Smilde JG, Pocock SJ. Efficacy and safety of atorvastatin in the prevention of cardiovascular end points in subjects with type 2 diabetes: the Atorvastatin Study for Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease Endpoints in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (ASPEN). Diabetes Care. 2006;29:1478-85. 16801565

The International Diabetes Federation definition of the metabolic syndrome independently predicts future cardiovascular events in Type 2 diabetic patients. The Valpolicella Heart Diabetes Study

Diabetic MedicineVolume 23, Issue 11 p. 1270-1271 The International Diabetes Federation definition of the metabolic syndrome independently predicts future cardiovascular events in Type 2 diabetic patients. The Valpolicella Heart Diabetes Study G. Targher, G. Targher Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorL. Bertolini, L. Bertolini Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorR. Tessari, R. Tessari Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorL. Zenari, L. Zenari Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorG. Arcaro, G. Arcaro Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this author G. Targher, G. Targher Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorL. Bertolini, L. Bertolini Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorR. Tessari, R. Tessari Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorL. Zenari, L. Zenari Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorG. Arcaro, G. Arcaro Division of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Unit, ‘Sacro Cuore’ Hospital of Negrar (VR), ItalySearch for more papers by this author First published: 18 October 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-5491.2006.01940.xCitations: 7Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume23, Issue11November 2006Pages 1270-1271 RelatedInformation

Economic evaluation of the CARDS study

Introduction: cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major component of premature mortality, generate disability and are a relevant source of cost. The growing incidence of CVD is associated with lifestyle and other modifiable risk factors. Prevention and preclinical detection of CVD reduce morbidity and mortality. Type 2 diabetes is associated with a substantially increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective: the aim of the study was to evaluate the health economic consequence of medical therapy with atorvastatin for primary prevention of major cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes in Italy. Materials and method: in order to reach our objective we drew clinical information from the CARDS study. This economic evaluation was carried out conducting a cost/effectiveness analysis from the perspective of National Health Service (NHS). The analysis was applied to a time horizon in conformity with the observational period adopted in the CARDS study (3.9 years). An incremental cost/effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated and is expressed as cost per life years gained (LYG). In order to test the robustness of the results, a one-way sensitivity analysis was performed. Results: the total cost of atorvastatin therapy over 3.9 years amounts to around 1.5 million of euros per 1,000 patients. The total cost of adding atorvastatin to standard care in people treated for primary prevention of major cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes as those involved in the CARDS study would entail an additional cost of about 1,2 million of euros per 1,000 patients treated per 3.9 years, with an incremental cost/effectiveness ratio (ICER) equivalent to 36,566 euros per patient per LYG. Discussion: the current study is the first economic evaluation of CARDS study to the Italian situation. The results of the current study show that hypolipemic therapy with atorvastatin 10 mg in diabetic individuals is to be considered cost effective.

Hyperhomocysteinaemia and type 2 diabetes

Hyperhomocysteinaemia is associated with cardiovascular events in nondiabetic individuals. The present study was aimed to explore the implication of hyperhomocysteinemia in development of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of 185 patients with type 2 diabetes (115 women and 70 men, 30 to 93 years of age) have been included consecutively in the ambulatory unit at the Saint-Philibert Hospital. For each patient the concentration of homocysteine, cholesterol and triglyceride levels and HbA1c have been measured. In the studied population, 121 patients presented cardiovascular events (myocardial infarctus, peripheric arteriopathy, cerebrovascular accident). The patients with cardiovascular events were older, the concentration of homocysteine and creatinine were higher. The plasma homocysteine levels adjusted for age and creatinine levels were higher in patients with cardiovascular events than in patients without cardiovascular events (15.4 +/- 3.52 micromol/L and 13.13 +/- 2.26 micromol/L respectively; p = 2. 10(-5)). Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independant risk factor for cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes, independent of age and renal function.

Pulse pressure reduction and cardiovascular protection

Brachial pulse pressure (PP) is now a well-established cardiovascular risk factor. Central rather than peripheral PP should be measured to determine the 'true' haemodynamic effects of antihypertensive agents on target organs. Peripheral PP, measured at the brachial artery, does not reflect central PP (either carotid or ascending aorta), because their determinants are different and pathophysiological conditions and drugs may change central PP without changing peripheral PP. Central PP (i.e. carotid artery or ascending aorta) has shown an independent predictive value for all-cause mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease and in the hypertensive patients of the CAFE study. Antihypertensive treatment has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to prevent cardiovascular events. Whether the effect on cardiovascular events in clinical trials comparing two pharmacological classes or two therapeutic strategies is, at least partly, the result of differential effects on PP remains to be demonstrated. It is therefore of major importance to determine which therapeutic strategies may differentially lower central PP, and in turn reduce cardiovascular events. In clinical practice, lowering PP is often a difficult task, particularly in diabetic hypertensive individuals. In the PARADIS study, we aimed to determine, in a population of hypertensive patients with both type 2 diabetes and PP greater than 60 mmHg, which clinical characteristics predict the fall in PP on treatment and a reduction in cardiovascular events. The reinforcement of therapeutic measures, including a fixed low-dose perindopril/indapamide combination, made possible the effective lowering of PP and cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic hypertensive patients, under conditions of usual care by general practitioners and specialists.

Postprandial Blood Glucose Is a Stronger Predictor of Cardiovascular Events Than Fasting Blood Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Particularly in Women: Lessons from the San Luigi Gonzaga Diabetes Study

The influence of postprandial blood glucose on diabetes complications is intensively debated. We aimed to evaluate the predictive role of both fasting and postprandial blood glucose on cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes and the influence of gender. In a population of 529 (284 men and 245 women) consecutive type 2 diabetic patients attending our diabetes clinic, we evaluated the relationships, corrected for cardiovascular risk factors and type of treatment, between cardiovascular events in a 5-yr follow-up and baseline values of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood glucose measured: 1) after an overnight fast, 2) after breakfast, 3) after lunch, and 4) before dinner. Continuous variables were categorized into tertiles. We recorded cardiovascular events in 77 subjects: 54 of 284 men (19%) and 23 of 245 women (9.4%). Univariate analysis indicated that cardiovascular events were associated with increasing age, longer diabetes duration, and higher HbA1c and fibrinogen in men, and higher systolic blood pressure, albumin excretion rate, HbA1c, and all blood glucose values in women. Smoking was more frequent in subjects with events. When all blood glucose values and HbA1c were introduced simultaneously in the models, only blood glucose after lunch predicted cardiovascular events, with hazard ratio of the third tertile vs. the first and the second tertiles greater in women (5.54; confidence interval, 1.45-21.20) than in men (2.12; confidence interval, 1.04-4.32; P < 0.01). Postprandial, but not fasting, blood glucose is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes, with a stronger predictive power in women than in men, suggesting that more attention should be paid to postprandial hyperglycemia, particularly in women.

The Clinical Significance of PPAR Gamma Agonism

Insulin resistance is a principal underlying defect in type 2 DM along with beta-cell dysfunction, and this insulin resistance underpins many of the abnormalities associated with the metabolic syndrome. Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonists (PPARgamma agonists), also known as glitazones or thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are powerful insulin sensitisers with recent evidence suggesting that they also have a potential to improve pancreatic beta-cell function. TZDs cause a major redistribution of body fat with a decrease in visceral and hepatic fat content with a resultant increase in insulin sensitivity. The glucose lowering effects of TZDs are similar to those seen with the well-established sulphonylureas and metformin. TZDs have a small reducing effect on blood pressure and have been shown to reduce microalbuminuria independent of their blood glucose lowering effect. Both TZDs in clinical practice, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, reduce small dense LDL-cholesterol and increase HDL-cholesterol levels but pioglitazone would appear to have a more pronounced benefit on these two parameters with a greater reduction in plasma triglycerides. TZDs improved the pro-coagulant state and show benefits in improving endothelial dysfunction and reducing 'non-traditional' inflammatory cytokines and increasing adiponectin levels. The greatest benefit for the TZDs is to directly influence atherogenesis itself and the potential that these so-called pleiotrophic effects of TZDs to reduce cardiovascular events in type 2 DM will be tested when the results of outcome trials are published in the next few years. If the results are positive for the reduction in vascular end-points, then TZDs will represent a major advance in improving the prognosis of type 2 DM subjects with the metabolic syndrome.

Type 2 Diabetes As An Inflammatory Cardiovascular Disorder

Type 2 diabetes carries a 2-6-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. Indeed, the risk of major cardiovascular events in Type 2 diabetic patients without history of coronary heart disease (CHD) is equivalent to that observed in non-diabetic subjects with CHD. However, atherosclerosis may also precede the development of diabetes, suggesting that both disorders share common genetic and environmental antecedent factors ("common soil" hypothesis). One such a possible ancestor is insulin resistance which constitutes both a major feature of Type 2 diabetes and an independent risk factor for CHD. It is well documented that inflammatory processes play an important role in the causation of atherosclerotic CVD. Inflammatory mediators play a paramount role in the initiation, progression, and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. Thus, markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction may provide additional information about a patient's risk of developing CVD and may become new targets for treatment. On the other hand, evidence has emerged suggesting that inflammation is also involved in the development of Type 2 diabetes. Prospective studies have demonstrated that increased levels of pro-inflammatory markers such as CRP or reduced levels of anti-inflammatory markers such as adiponectin predict the development of Type 2 diabetes. Thus, there is accumulating evidence suggesting that inflammation is the bridging link between atherosclerosis and the metabolic syndrome. Interventions by lifestyle modification or agents with anti-inflammatory properties may reduce the risk of both conditions. Drugs exerting anti-inflammatory and vascular effects have future potential to be used within an array of interventions aimed at reducing the enormous cardiovascular burden associated with Type 2 diabetes.

The effects of lipid‐lowering drug therapy on cardiovascular responsiveness in type 2 diabetic patients

Type 2 diabetes is associated with a high prevalence of dyslipidaemia and a high incidence of cardiovascular disease. Lipid lowering therapy with HMG Co-A reductase inhibitors (statins) reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic patients, effects which are believed to be partly due to improvements in vascular function. The aetiology of abnormal vascular function in type 2 diabetics is likely to be multifactorial and the pattern of vascular dysfunction in type 2 diabetes may differ from that which occurs in non-diabetic patients with dyslipidaemia. Abnormalities in endothelium derived hyperpolarising factor (EDHF) mediated vasodilation in resistance vessels may be more prominent in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes than in non-diabetic patients with endothelial dysfunction. The effects of lipid lowering therapy on vascular responsiveness may differ in type 2 diabetic patients from those found in non-diabetic patients. Statin therapy does not appear to improve responses to endothelial dependent vasodilators in type 2 diabetics, but may alter the ratio between nitric oxide (NO) and EDHF mediated responses. Fibrate therapy improves flow mediated dilation of brachial arteries in type 2 diabetic patients, but only appears to improve endothelium dependant vasodilator responses in resistance vessels when given in conjunction with co-enzyme Q.

124 Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease independently predicts incident cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients — Findings from the valpolicella heart diabetes study

124 Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease independently predicts incident cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients — Findings from the valpolicella heart diabetes study

A Prognostic Role of Mean 24-h Pulse Pressure Level for Cardiovascular Events in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects Under 60 Years of Age

To assess the prognostic role of ambulatory 24-h pulse pressure (PP) on various vascular events in relatively young type 2 diabetic subjects under 60 years of age. In this prospective study, 237 type 2 diabetic subjects without any history of vascular complications were analyzed. After excluding 9 dropout subjects, 228 subjects (mean age, 46 years; 69% men; mean follow-up period, 100 months) entered the study. Distribution of 24-h PP for all subjects showed left skewed data, indicating that there may be a diabetic subgroup that had a wide PP. Therefore, further analysis was performed by stratifying the diabetic subjects by quartile of 24-h PP. Outcomes for the widest quartile (n = 58; cut point = 53.3 mmHg) was then compared with those from the other narrower quartiles (n = 170). In the diabetic subjects with a wide PP, cardiovascular events occurred more frequently than those in the diabetic subjects with a narrow one (20.7 vs. 4.1%; P < 0.001), resulting in the significant difference in the cumulative incidence of cardiovascular events (P < 0.001, log-rank test), but not cerebrovascular events, between the two subgroups. The Cox model revealed that a wide 24-h PP at baseline independently predicted subsequent cardiovascular events but not cerebrovascular events. By contrast, only duration of diabetes was the risk factor for cerebrovascular events. This study showed that a wide 24-h PP is predictive for cardiovascular events in relatively young diabetic subjects.