Abstract

Objectives
To determine the frequency of silent myocardial ischemia
(SMI) in type 2 diabetic patients.
Patients and Methods
This study was conducted in Medical units of Khyber Teaching Hospital,
Peshawar from February 2009 to August 2009. A total of 100 patients who
had type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) for 5 years or more, were included in the
study. All patients with type 1 DM, symptomatic ischemic heart disease,
previous myocardial or valvular heart disease were excluded from the
study. Full blood count and fasting blood glucose were performed in all
patients. The main tools for the diagnosis were electrocardiogram, exercise
tolerance test (ETT) and echocardiography. Patients having normal
electrocardiogram and exercise tolerance test were labeled as having no
silent ischemic heart disease. Those patients who turned out to have silent
ischemic heart disease were subjected to echocardiography.
2
Results
Out of 100 patients, 50 were male and 50 female. Forty-four
out of 100 (44%) had silent myocardial ischemia. Among these
44 patients, 25 were male and 19 female (1.3:1). The majority
of patients were in the age group of 50-59.
Conclusion
All patients with type 2 diabetes of more than 5 years duration
should be screened with ETT for silent myocardial ischemia.
(Rawal Med J 2010;35: ).

Key words: Silent ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, silent myocardial ischemia.