Conclusion
The current study revealed a high (46%) prevalence of abnormal stress
MPI SPECT in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, despite having a
normal ECG and EF in echocardiography, which in turn indicates a higher
risk of fatal cardiac events, if not detected early. Smoking, duration
of diabetes, requiring insulin treatment and male gender were
independent predictors of abnormal MPI, proceeding to silent ischemia.
These findings may assist cardiologists in choosing asymptomatic
diabetic patients for early screening of CAD, thereby lowering the risk
of CAD-related morbidity and mortality.