The Complexity of Peripheral Arterial Disease and Coronary Artery Disease in Diabetic Patients: An Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that causes luminal narrowing. Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) also exhibit an increased risk of death from cardiovascular complications. This risk is the same for symptomatic or asymptomatic patients. Over a 5-year period, patients with PAD have a 20% chance of suffering from a stroke or myocardial infarction. Additionally, their mortality rate is 30%. This study aimed to assess the relationship between coronary artery disease (CAD) complexity using SYNTAX score and PAD complexity using Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus II (TASC II) score. METHODS: The study was designed as single-center cross-sectional observational and included 50 diabetic patients referred for elective coronary angiography and peripheral angiography was done. RESULTS: Most of the patients were males (80%) and smokers (80%) with mean age of 62 years. The mean SYNTAX score was 19.88. There was a significant negative correlation between SYNTAX score and ankle brachial index (ABI) (r = -0.48, P = 0.001) and a significant positive correlation with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level (R(2) = 26, P = 0.004). Complex PAD was found in nearly half of the patients with 48% having TASC II C or D classes. Those with TASC II classes C and D had higher SYNTAX scores (P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic patients with more complex CAD had more complex PAD. In diabetic patients with CAD, those with worse glycemic control had higher SYNTAX scores and the higher the SYNTAX score, the lower the ABI.