Correlation between Duration of Diabetes and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objectives: This study aims to examine the relationship between the duration of diabetes mellitus and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from June 2022 to June 2023, involving 130 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus who presented with symptoms indicative of CAD. Comprehensive data on demographics, medical history, and diabetes duration were collected. Coronary angiography was performed to assess CAD severity using the Gensini scoring system. Statistical analyses, including Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression, were employed to evaluate the relationship between diabetes duration and CAD severity while controlling for potential confounders such as age, gender, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking status. Results: A significant positive correlation was observed between the duration of diabetes and the Gensini score (r = 0.65, p < 0.001), suggesting that longer diabetes duration is associated with more severe CAD. Multiple linear regression analysis further established that the duration of diabetes, along with hypertension and dyslipidemia, were significant predictors of higher Gensini scores. Patients with diabetes for over 15 years exhibited the highest mean Gensini scores (68.1 +/- 20.3), compared to those with 10-15 years (45.3 +/- 15.6) and less than 10 years (27.8 +/- 12.4). Conclusion: The study confirms a significant association between longer diabetes duration and increased severity of CAD. These findings underscore the critical need for early and rigorous management of diabetes and its cardiovascular risk factors to prevent the progression of CAD. Enhanced monitoring and comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessments are essential for improving outcomes in diabetic patients.