The relationship between retinopathy in diabetes mellitus type 2 and severity and extent of myocardial ischemia in myocardial perfusion imaging

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality owing to its role in the development of cardiovascular disease. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and myocardial ischemia using myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Materials and Methods: Thirty-three patients with DM2 (age =59 ± 8 years) were examined for evidence of DR. The subjects were divided into two groups on the basis of the presence DR(+) or absence DR(-) of diabetic retinopathy. MPI was performed for all the patients as well. Results: Eighteen and fifteen patients were categorized as DR(+) and DR(-), respectively. Ischemia was significantly more frequent in the DR(+) group than in the DR(-) group (p <0.05). There was also a positive association between the grade of retinopathy and the grade of ischemia (odds ratio (OR)confidence interval (CI)95% =7.1 1.7-29.6, p =0.007). Severe nonproliferative/proliferative DR was independently related to the summed difference and summed stress scores (β=13.2, p =0.024 and β=15.4, p =0.013, respectively). Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that the presence of DR increases the risk of abnormal perfusion and the degree of retinopathy is correlated with the extent and severity of ischemia in patients with DM2. (Iranian Heart Journal 2013; 13(4):6-14).