Coronary plaque characteristics and epicardial fat tissue in long term survivors of type 1 diabetes identified by coronary computed tomography angiography

The aim was to assess coronary atherosclerosis, plaque morphology and associations to cardiovascular risk factors and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with long duration of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Eighty-eight patients with ≥ 45 year T1DM duration and 60 controls underwent coronary CT angiography (CCTA) for evaluation of coronary artery plaque volume (total, calcified or mixed/soft), coronary artery calcification score (CAC) and EAT. Plaques were detected in 75 (85%) T1DM patients and 28 (47%) controls, p < 0.01. Median (interquartile range) plaque volume (mm 3 ) in T1DM vs. controls was: 21.0 (1.0–66.0) vs. 0.2 (0.0–7.1), p < 0.01 for calcified, 0.0 (0.0–8.7) vs. 0.0 (0.0–0.0), p < 0.01 for soft/mixed and 29.5 (3.9–95.8) vs. 0.4 (0.0–7.4), p < 0.01 for total plaque volume. Median CAC was 128 (13–671) vs. 1 (0.0–39.0), p < 0.01 in T1DM vs. controls. Median EAT volume did not differ between the groups; 52.3 (36.1–65.5) cm 3 vs. 55 (38.3–79.6), p = 0.20. No association between CAC or plaque volumes and EAT were observed. Low time-weighted LDL-cholesterol and HbA1c for 30 years were associated with having plaque volume < 25th percentile, OR (95% CI) 0.18 (0.05–0.70), p = 0.01 and 0.45 (0.20–1.00), p < 0.05, respectively. Time-weighted LDL-c was linearly associated with CAC (beta 0.82 (95% CI 0.03–1.62), p = 0.04) and total plaque volume (beta 0.77 (95% CI 0.19–1.36), p = 0.01). Long-term survivors of T1DM have a higher prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis compared to controls. Low LDL-cholesterol and HbA1c over time have a protective effect on coronary atherosclerosis. EAT volume was not associated with coronary atherosclerosis in T1DM patients.