Aim: To determine the prognostic value of reversible myocardial perfusion defects on myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild anginal complaints.
Methods and results: In the MERIDIAN trial, patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, stable, mild anginal symptoms (Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification (CCS) I-II/IV) and reversible perfusion defects were randomized to either continued pharmacological treatment or early invasive treatment. In this sub analysis, the severity of the myocardial perfusion defect was related to the occurrence of cardiac death and non-fatal myocardial infarction, in 319 patients (63% male, 65 +/- 9 years). During follow-up (2.2 +/- 0.6 years), 14 patients had a cardiac event: 3 in 171 patients without myocardial ischemia and 11 in 148 patients with myocardial ischemia. Annual event rates rose from 0.8% to 5.8% with increasing severity of myocardial ischemia. Multivariable analysis identified the presence of severe myocardial ischemia (hazard ratio (HR) 5.45, 95%CI 1.89-15.71) and insulin use (HR 4.00, 95%CI 1.25-12.75) as independent predictors of cardiac events.
Conclusions: Type 2 diabetics with mild anginal symptoms with no or moderate myocardial ischemia have a low annual cardiac event rate. In patients with severe myocardial ischemia event rate increased 3-6 fold.