title: Stress echocardiography for risk stratification of asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to assess stressechocardiography (SE) for risk stratification of asymptomatic type 2 diabetic patients (DM2) without known coronary artery disease CAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 211 consecutive, asymptomatic DM2 patients underwent exercise (n=177) or dobutamine (n=34) SE and were followed up for 11+/-2 months. Primary endpoint was a major cardiac or vascular event (MACCE; all-cause-death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization procedures, cerebrovascular event, acute limb-ischemia).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During follow-up 39 of these patients suffered a MACCE. SE correctly identified 33 of these 39 patients by demonstrating silent ischemia in advance. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis a positive SE turned out to be an independent predictor for the occurrence of a MACCE during 11+/-2 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SE represents an effective tool for risk stratification of asymptomatic DM2 patients.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Kardiologie, Universitätsklinik Charité-Campus Virchow, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin und Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. suzanne.fateh-moghadam@charite.de
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fateh-Moghadam
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Htun
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Plöckinger
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bocksch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors