Significant Increase in the Prevalence of Non-rheumatic Aortic Valve Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Type II diabetes mellitus is independently associated with non-rheumatic aortic valve disease. Since women were underrepresented in our study, our results apply only to diabetic men. The cause of this association is not known. CONDENSE ABSTRACT:The role of Diabetes as an independent risk factor for aortic stenosis or regurgitation has been controversial. We used PTF documents containing discharge diagnosis using ICD-9 codes of inpatient treatment from Veterans Health Administration Hospitals (VA) were analysed.( DM (n=293,124), a control group with hypertension (HTN) but no DM (n=552,623)). The occurrence of non-rheumatic aortic valve disease in DM patients was studied in comparison with the control. Non-rheumatic aortic valve disease diagnosis was present in 7,322 (2.5%) of DM patients vs. 10,906 (2.0%) in the control group. Using multivariate analysis, DM remained strongly associated with non-rheumatic aortic valve disease: (odds ratio (OR): 2.23, 95%; confidential interval (CI): 2.16 to 2.30 p<0. 0001). Since women were underrepresented in our study, our results apply only to diabetic men.