ABSTRACT
Background: The success of revascularization procedures for coronary artery disease could be lower in diabetic patients. Aim: To report the results of coronary angioplasty in diabetic and non diabetic patients. Patients and methods: All angioplasty procedures performed between 1996 and 1999 were recorded. Demographic data, procedure details, hospital outcome and evolution at one year of follow up were analyzed. Results: During the study period, 358 patients were treated; of these, 79 were diabetics. Despite the greater severity of coronary lesions among diabetic patients the clinical success of the procedure was 92.4 percent in diabetics and 91.8 percent in non diabetics. Hospital mortality was 1.3 pecent in diabetics and 0.7 percent in non diabetics. Major complications occurred in 3.8 percent of diabetics and 3.2 percent in non diabetics. One year survival was 95.9 percent for diabetics and 98 percent in non diabetics. There were five late cardiac deaths among non diabetics and 3 among diabetics during the year of follow up. The frequency of new revascularization procedures was 4.3 percent in diabetics and 8.3 percent in non diabetics. Event-free survival was 95.6 percent in diabetics and 89.2 percent in non diabetics. Conclusions: Results of angioplasty were similar in diabetic and non diabetic patients in terms of hospital outcome and late follow-up