Prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease, Ischemic Stroke, and Symptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease and of Associated Risk Factors in Older Men and Women With and Without Diabetes Mellitus

The authors performed a retrospective analysis of the prevalence of coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, and symptomatic peripheral arterial disease and of associated risk factors in 99 men (mean age 79±8 years) with diabetes mellitus vs. 368 men (mean age 81±8 years) without diabetes mellitus, and in 260 women (mean age 80±8 years) with diabetes mellitus vs. 1184 women (mean age 81±8 years) without diabetes mellitus. All patients were seen in an academic outpatient geriatrics practice. Diabetic men had a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, and symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (p<0.0001); a higher prevalence of smoking (p=0.023), hypertension (p<0.0001), and obesity (p=0.0007); higher levels of serum total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.0001) and triglycerides (p=0.003); and lower levels of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.0001) than men without diabetes mellitus. Diabetic women had a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, and symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (p<0.0001); a higher prevalence of hypertension and obesity (p<0.0001); higher levels of serum total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.0001) and triglycerides (p=0.005); and lower levels of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.0001) than women without diabetes mellitus.