Characteristics of diabetic patients and diabetes care in cardiac rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND

Although diabetes is associated with a high cardiovascular risk, very little information is available about diabetic patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

AIMS

To analyse the characteristics of diabetic patients and diabetes care in CR.

METHODS

From the database of 700 patients enrolled in CR during a 29-month period, we analysed data from all patients with glucose metabolism disorders (n=105) and 210 matched normoglycaemic patients.

RESULTS

A total of 105 patients with glucose metabolism disorders (type 1 diabetes, n=5; type 2 diabetes, n=84; impaired fasting glucose, n=16) were enrolled in a CR programme (15% of whole population). Fifteen per cent of patients with type 2 diabetes and all patients with impaired fasting glucose were diagnosed during CR. These 105 patients were older and had a higher body mass index, a larger waist circumference, higher fasting blood glucose and triglyceride concentrations and lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations than non-diabetic patients; they also had higher rates of hypertension (P=0.001) and dyslipidaemia (P=0.02). They were more frequently referred to CR for peripheral artery disease (P=0.001), coronary heart disease+peripheral artery disease (P=0.007) and primary prevention (P=0.009). The intervention of a diabetologist was needed for 42.6% of patients because of uncontrolled or newly diagnosed diabetes.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, we showed that (1) the proportion of patients with diabetes in CR is lower than expected, (2) many glucose metabolism disorders are diagnosed during CR, (3) patients with glucose metabolism disorders show a more severe cardiovascular risk profile than normoglycemic patients, and (4) the intervention of a diabetologist is needed during CR for many patients with diabetes.