Prognostic Significance of Treadmill Exercise Stress Test in Diabetic Patients Without Cardiovascular Signs

As in the Western countries, the incidence of coronary artery disease in diabetic patients is increasing in Japan. Early detection of coronary artery disease is important in the management of diabetic patients. However, because painless myocardial infarction is frequent in diabetics(l), silent ischemia might be also frequent in asymptomatic diabetic patients. Exercise electrocardiography is useful in the early detection of coronary artery disease, but no data was available concerning the incidence and prognostic significance of exercise electrocardiographic abnormalities in asymptomatic diabetic patients in Japan. To identify incidence and prognostic significance of exercise-induced abnormalities in asymptomatic Type 2 diabetic patients, we performed treadmill exercise stress tests in 176 consecutive patients with no symptoms and signs suggestive of cardiac disease and they were followed prospectively.