[Implantation of coronary stents in diabetic patients. Short- and medium-term clinical results].

Coronary balloon angioplasty is associated with a high incidence of restenosis in diabetics and of revascularisation of the culprit lesion and increased long-term mortality. The authors report the short and medium-term results of coronary stenting in diabetics. Between May 1995 and April 1997, 2,182 patients underwent coronary stenting. This population included 272 diabetics : 58 insulin-dependent and 214 non-insulin dependent (oral antidiabetics). Stents were implanted in vessels with mean diameters of 3 mm and over. During the hospital period, the complication rate (mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, emergency coronary bypass surgery, subacute thrombosis of the stent) was comparable in non-diabetics, insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetics (2.55, 0 and 2.0% respectively). One patient (0.5%) died and another (0.5%) had non-fatal myocardial infarction (thrombosis of the stent) in the non-insulin-dependent group. No complications were observed in the insulin-dependent diabetic group. The mean clinical follow-up of 13 months (3-26 months) was respected in 93 and 97% of diabetics. The non-fatal myocardial infarction rate and revascularisation of the culprit lesion were comparable in the insulin and non-insulin-dependent groups (0 versus 0.5% and 8.2 versus 10.5% respectively) but global mortality was higher in the insulin-dependent diabetics (9.3 versus 2.4%).