Increased serum calcium levels are associated with carotid atherosclerotic plaque in normocalcaemic individuals with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have an elevated risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although previous data have suggested that serum calcium levels could be involved in T2DM and cardiovascular disease, whether this applies in T2DM patients with atherosclerosis remains unclear. This study therefore aimed to investigate the relationship between serum calcium levels within the physiological ranges and carotid atherosclerotic plaque in T2DM patients.

METHODS

A total of 594 normocalcaemic in-patients with T2DM were recruited, of whom 231 had carotid atherosclerotic plaque. Serum calcium levels were measured and carotid ultrasonography was performed.

RESULTS

Patients with plaque had significantly higher serum albumin-corrected calcium than those without plaque [9.02 (8.78-9.34) mg/dL 8.86 (8.66-9.06) mg/dL,  < 0.001]. As serum albumin-corrected calcium levels increased across tertiles, the percentage of plaque increased (27.6%, 35.5%, and 55.7%;  < 0.001). Logistic regression showed that serum albumin-corrected calcium levels were independently and positively correlated with the presence of plaque, but not parathyroid hormone levels. Compared with patients in the lowest serum calcium tertiles, the odds ratio for plaque in patients in the upper quartile was 2.47 (95% confidence interval 1.51-4.03,  < 0.001) after adjustment for potential confounders.

CONCLUSION

Serum albumin-corrected calcium levels are elevated in patients with T2DM and carotid atherosclerotic plaques.