[ECG during rest as an indicator of vascular changes in diabetic patients].

Abstract

EKG-findings of 186 non-selected diabetic outpatients and 52 control subjects of the age group of 50 to 79 years have been examined in relation to cardiovascular risk factors as well as to peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and carotid artery stenosis (CS). The Whitehall-Criteria of the Minnesota-Code were seen in diabetics (D) approximately twice as frequently as in non-diabetics (C): Minnesota-Code I: D 7% vs C 4%; IV 27% vs 13%; V 25% vs 15%; VII1 2% vs 0%. Beside higher levels of blood glucose and HbAI, diabetics differed from controls mainly by higher systolic blood pressure (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, they showed more signs of PVD and CS. Only in 27% of diabetics normal EKG-findings were seen. In comparison to age-adjusted diabetics with EKG-abnormalities, these patients showed signs of PVD and CS only to a minor degree and lower values were found for systolic (p less than 0,01) and diastolic (p less than 0.05) blood pressure, weight (p less than 0.05), serum triglycerides (p less than 0.02), and markedly higher values for HDL-cholesterol (p less than 0.01). These data show that in diabetics more frequently abnormal EKG-findings are seen and that a normal EKG in diabetics older than 50 years indicates low cardiovascular morbidity and a favorable risk factor profile.