Diabetics' coronary calcium levels are strongly linked to heart attack risk

Notable levels of calcium buildup in coronary arteries can be strong predictors of heart attacks and strokes in people with diabetes and metabolic syndrome, according to a study led by UC Irvine's Heart Disease Prevention Program.
The researchers also found that individuals with diabetes or metabolic syndrome but no evidence of coronary calcium had cardiac-event risks as low as many without these conditions.
Supported by the National Institutes of Health, the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis involved 6,600 people ages 45 to 84. About 16 percent were diabetic (primarily type 2); another 25 percent had metabolic syndrome, a combination of disorders that can lead to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The researchers wanted to know whether information from a heart scan for coronary calcium or an ultrasound of the neck's carotid artery could supplement standard factors -- high cholesterol, smoking, elevated blood pressure – in assessing a person's chance of heart attack or stroke.
Diabetics have narrowed arteries because high blood sugar levels cause plaques to form and reduce the diameter of the coronary arteries. The increased need for blood flow from burning fat and the decreased blood flow from narrowed arteries put diabetics at very high risk for heart attacks, heart failure and sudden death. The increased use of oxygen increases blood levels of oxidants that further damage the inner linings of arteries.