Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Coronary Artery Disease in Women Attending Coronary Angiography in Gaza- Palestine: An Observational Study

Aims: It is well know that Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is crucial risk factors for Coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study aimed to investigate characteristics and angiographic profiles of the CAD in diabetic’s women in comparison with non diabetics.

Methodology: Documented CAD was examined in 688 women, attending angiographic examination in El-Hayat cardiology center in Gaza City during period 2010 – 2013. Cross sectional design was applied in this study where variables of interest are examined at the same point of the women examination, and predisposing risk factors were recording. CAD severity was assessed by the number of arteries 0-3 with more than 50% stenosis.

Results: 420 of study population (61%) were diabetics, the diabetics women were older (P =0.02), had higher prevalence of hypertension, high level of Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and high level of Triglycerides (TG), the P value for all these variables cited was less than 0.001. The Body mass index (BMI) was the same in the two groups (P =0.76); women with diabetes have higher prevalence of severe stenosis in the angiography, where normal vessel was reported in 36.4%, single vessel 26.9%, double vessels 18.6% and triple vessels 18.1% vs 57.8%, 17.9%, 12.7%, 11.6% in non diabetic’s women respectively with significant statistical difference (P=0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes mellitus was stronger predictor of CAD.

Conclusion: Our data shows a strong association of diabetes effect more than other factors, on atherosclerosis. Information for future prospective studies is needed for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Palestine.