Association of Severity of Coronary Artery Disease with Duration of Risk Factors in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography

Abstract Background: Although many cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) have been established to be associated with clinical event rates, it is unclear whether the duration of such risk factors relates to atherosclerotic plaque burden in the Indian population. Results: The study included 221 patients admitted over a year with a confirmed diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) based on an elective coronary angiogram at a tertiary care hospital in Tamil Nadu. Age, gender, weight, and height, as well as the duration of diabetes and hypertension, were part of the baseline demographic information. Coronary angiography data were recruited using databases from commercially available cath laboratory machines. The risk of developing CAD increased threefold in diabetic patients with a long-term duration of >6 years. Furthermore, the risk of developing CAD was 3.8 times higher in hypertension patients with >5 years of long-term duration versus those with <5 years of short-term duration. Conclusions: We have established a direct correlation between the duration of CVRFs, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and the extent of atherosclerotic burden.