Factors associated with long-term adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes

Aim. To identify factors associated with long-term adverse cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Material and methods. The study included 94 T2D patients aged 40 to 65 years with or without early symptoms of heart failure (HF). Patients underwent clinical and laboratory investigations, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and echocardiography. Concentration of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was determined. After 8,8±0,72 years of follow-up, the prevalence of following CVEs among patients were assessed: any-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, emergency myocardial revascularization, hospitalization due to decompensated HF. We assessed the relationship between the development of long-term CVEs in T2D patients and the initial characteristics using logistic regression model. Results. Over a period of 8,8±0,72 years, CVEs occurred in 34 out of 88 (38,6%) patients with T2D. The baseline 6MWT values were lower in patients with CVEs (391,8±56,2 m vs 418,8±53,9 m, p=0,04). Stable coronary artery disease (55,9% vs 27,8%, p=0,008), early-stage HF (61,8% vs 27,8%; p=0,0016) were more common among patients with CVEs. Patients with CVEs had higher median initial NT-proBNP (46,9 pg/ml vs 24,2 pg/ml, p=0,01) and mean left atrial (LA) size (4,5±0,6 cm vs 4,19±0,5 cm, p=0,04) levels. The logistic regression established following factors associated with long-term CVEs in patients with T2D: NT-proBNP level (p=0,05), LA size (p=0,01), and 6MWT results (p=0,002). Conclusion. The development of long-term CVEs in middle-aged T2D patients with or without early-stage HF is associated with an initially increased NT-proBNP levels, an increase in left atrial size, and a decrease in 6MWT values. Further prospective studies with larger samples are needed to identify other factors affecting outcome in patients with early signs of HF.