Background and aims: We compared the clinical outcome of diabetic versus nondiabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the GReek AntiPlatElet (GRAPE) registry.
Patients and methods: GRAPE is a prospective observational study, focusing on contemporary antiplatelet use in moderate-risk to high-risk ACS patients receiving PCI. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), (composite of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, urgent revascularization, and stroke) and bleeding events (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium definition) at 1 year of follow-up were analyzed using propensity score adjustment. A subanalysis according to diabetes mellitus (DM) status was performed.
Results: Out of 2047 registered patients, 469 (22.9%) were diabetic. Complete 1-year follow-up was available in 95.1% of patients. MACE occurred in 12.2 and 7.2% of those patients with and without DM, respectively [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.27 (0.89-1.79), P=0.2]. Observed BARC type ≥3 bleeding risk was not higher in diabetic patients: adjusted HR (95% CI)=1.20 (0.79-1.84). In the subgroup of clopidogrel-treated patients (N=238), MACE rate was significantly higher in diabetic compared with nondiabetic cohort [13.4 vs. 9%, adjusted HR (95% CI)=1.68 (1.07-2.64), P=0.03]. In the subgroup of ticagrelor-treated or prasugrel-treated patients (N=228), MACE rate did not differ significantly between diabetic and nondiabetic patients: 9.6 versus 5%, adjusted HR (95% CI)=1.35 (0.77-2.37), P=0.38.
Conclusion: In 'real-life' ACS undergoing PCI, diabetic patients have higher - although not significantly - MACE rate and no difference in bleeding events. This difference in MACE was significant among clopidogrel-treated patients, whereas when newer antiplatelet agents were used the negative impact of DM on ischemic events was eliminated.