A new manuscript published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery sheds light on the alarming prevalence of silent, severe coronary ischemia in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). The study, “High Prevalence of Silent, Severe Coronary Ischemia in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers,” demonstrates that a significant proportion of DFU patients—without overt history of coronary artery disease—have severe, asymptomatic coronary involvement detectable by coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) and CT-derived fractional flow reserve (FFRCT).
Key findings include:
- Over half of DFU patients undergoing cCTA had functional evidence (FFRCT ≤ 0.75) of severe coronary disease
- A notable portion required coronary intervention after catheterization
- The findings support comprehensive cardiac screening protocols for all DFU patients
Authors:
Conall T. Monahan, Halim Yammine, Sarah G. Burnash, Christopher K. Zarins, Fanny Alie-Cusson, Kellie Safrit, Markus Scherer, Jens Eichhorn, Natalie G. Ray, Gregory A. Stanley, and Frank R. Arko III
Read the full abstract and manuscript on PubMed:
High Prevalence of Silent, Severe Coronary Ischemia in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers (PMID: 40934990)
This work underscores the importance of proactive cardiovascular screening in the DFU population, aiming to reduce morbidity and mortality from unrecognized cardiac disease.
Leave a Reply