Evaluation of aortic arch calcification in type 2 diabetic patients.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the severity of aortic arch calcification among type 2 diabetic patients in association with diabetes duration, diabetic complications, coronary artery disease and presence of cardiovascular risk factors.


METHODS
This study included 207 type 2 diabetic patients (101 men) with a mean age of 61.5 +/- 8.1 years and a mean diabetes duration of 13.9 +/- 6.4 years. Aortic arch calcification was assessed by means of posteroanterior chest X-rays. Severity of calcification was graded as follows: grade 0 (no visible calcification), grade 1 (small spots of calcification or single thin calcification of the aortic knob), grade 2 (one or more areas of thick calcification), grade 3 (circular calcification of the aortic knob).


RESULTS
Severity of calcification was grade 0 in 84 patients (40.58%), grade 1 in 64 patients (30.92%), grade 2 in 43 patients (20.77%) and grade 3 in 16 patients (7.73%). In simple regression analysis severity of aortic arch calcification was associated with age (p = 0.032), duration of diabetes (p = 0.026), insulin dependence (p = 0.042) and presence of coronary artery disease (p = 0.039), hypertension (p = 0.019), dyslipidaemia (p = 0.029), retinopathy (p = 0.012) and microalbuminuria (p = 0.01). In multiple regression analysis severity of aortic arch calcification was associated with age (p = 0.04), duration of diabetes (p = 0.032) and presence of hypertension (p = 0.024), dyslipidaemia (p = 0.031) and coronary artery disease (p = 0.04), while the association with retinopathy, microalbuminuria and insulin dependence was no longer significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Severity of aortic arch calcification is associated with age, diabetes duration, diabetic complications (retinopath), microalbuminuria), coronary artery disease, insulin dependence, and presence of hypertension and dyslipidaemia.
Papanas
N
N
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece. papanasnikos@yahoo.gr
Symeonidis
G
G
Maltezos
E
E
Giannakis
I
I
Mavridis
G
G
Lakasas
G
G
Artopoulos
I
I
D001015:Aortic Arch Syndromes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index