Prevalence of ECG abnormalities in people with type 2 diabetes: The Hoorn Diabetes Care System cohort
Authors/Creators
- 1. Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of General Practice Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 2. Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 3. Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Department of Experimental and Clinical Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences Research Institute, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Netherlands Heart Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- 4. Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Description
Aims: TheAmerican Diabetes Association, and the joint European Society of Cardiology and European Association
for the Study of Diabetes guidelines recommend a resting ECG in people with type 2 diabetes with hypertension
or suspected cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, knowledge on the prevalence of ECG abnormalities is incomplete.
We aimed to analyse the prevalence of ECG abnormalities and their cross-sectional associations
with cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: We used data of the Diabetes Care System cohort obtained in 2018. ECG abnormalities were defined
using the Minnesota Classification and categorised into types of abnormalities. The prevalence was calculated
for the total population (n = 8068) and the subgroup of people without a history of CVD (n = 6494). Logistic
regression models were used to asses cross-sectional associations.
Results: Approximately one-third of the total population had minor (16.0%) or major (13.1%) ECG abnormalities.
Of the participants without a CVD history, approximately one-quarter had minor (14.9%) ormajor (9.1%) ECG abnormalities,
and for those with hypertension or very high CVD risk, the prevalencewas 27.5% and 39.6%, respectively.
ECG abnormalities were significantly and consistently associated with established CVD risk factors.
Conclusions: Resting ECG abnormalities are common in all people with type 2 diabetes (29.1%), including those
without a history of CVD (24.0%), and their prevalence is related to traditional cardiovascular risk factors such
as older age, male sex, hypertension, lower HDL cholesterol, higher BMI, and smoking behaviour.