title: Diabetes mellitus and heart disease.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus is responsible for diverse cardiovascular complications such as accelerated atherosclerosis, increased plaque burden and diffuse coronary lesions. It is also a major risk factor for myocardial infarction, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Here, we present two cases. The first patient had subtle changes in the ECGs, with severe coronary artery disease requiring coronary artery bypass grafting, while the second had deep T wave inversion in the ECG and was found to have normal coronary arteries and nonischaemic cardiomyopathy. Although ECG failed to show the severity of the disease, it is invaluable as a simple, noninvasive test to aid in diagnosis. Our two cases stress the importance of a high index of suspicion and the low threshold for investigations in the diabetic population.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Department, National University Heart Centre, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block, Level 9, Singapore 119228.
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ambhore
authors.forename: Swee Guan
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.forename: Kian Keong
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Poh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers