Increased heat generation from atherosclerotic plaques in patients with type 2 diabetes: an increased local inflammatory activation.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes show increased inflammatory activation. Thermography detects local inflammatory involvement as heat generation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with CAD and diabetes have increased local heat generation compared with nondiabetic patients.


METHODS
We enrolled patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions: 45 diabetic patients and 63 nondiabetic patients, serving as the control group, matched for age, type of clinical syndrome, statin and aspirin intake, and angiographic stenosis (%). Coronary thermography was performed, and temperature difference (DeltaT) between the atherosclerotic plaque and the proximal vessel wall was measured.


RESULTS
Patients with diabetes had increased temperature difference compared with nondiabetic patients (DeltaT: 0.17 +/- 0.18 degrees C vs. 0.09 +/- 0.02 degrees C, P = 0.01). Twenty-one diabetic and 22 nondiabetic patients suffered from acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) (P = 0.22). Patients with diabetes and ACSs had increased temperature difference compared with nondiabetic patients with ACSs (DeltaT: 0.29 +/- 0.31 degrees C vs. 0.15 +/- 0.21 degrees C, P = 0.02), which is the same as patients with diabetes and chronic stable angina (DeltaT: 0.09 +/- 0.08 degrees C vs. 0.05 +/- 0.04 degrees C, P = 0.006). Twenty-three diabetic and 30 nondiabetic patients were under therapy with statins (P = 0.72). Patients with diabetes under statins had lower temperature difference compared with untreated patients (DeltaT: 0.11 +/- 0.12 degrees C vs. 0.22 +/- 0.21 degrees C, P = 0.02), which is the same as nondiabetic patients under statins (DeltaT: 0.05 +/- 0.04 degrees C vs. 0.13 +/- 0.18 degrees C, P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with diabetes have increased temperature difference compared with nondiabetic patients. Patients with diabetes under statins showed decreased temperature difference compared with untreated patients, suggesting that statins have a favorable effect in patients with diabetes and CAD.
First Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Greece. ktoutouz@otenet.gr
Konstantinos
K
Toutouzas
Virginia
V
Markou
Maria
M
Drakopoulou
Ioannis
I
Mitropoulos
Eleftherios
E
Tsiamis
Manolis
M
Vavuranakis
Sophia
S
Vaina
Christodoulos
C
Stefanadis
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors