Coronary artery disease and musculoskeletal complications in long-term type 1 diabetes are the main subjects of Kristine Bech Holte’s PhD thesis.

MAIN RESULTS:

1. A fourth of patients with long-term type 1 diabetes have undiagnosed obstructive coronary artery disease.
2. Poor glycemic control is associated with undiagnosed obstructive coronary artery disease in type 1 diabetes.
3. Type 1-diabetics with low LDL-cholesterol have less coronary plaque.

THESIS DEFENCE:

Thesis: Coronary artery disease and musculoskeletal complications in long-term survivors of type 1 diabetes: Associations with long-term glycation, oxidation and lipid markers
Candidate: Kristine Bech Holte
Time: June 19, 2019 at 13:15
Place: Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, Laboratory Building: Red Auditorium
Link to university website

SUMMARY:

(3) Undiagnosed obstructive coronary artery disease was found in 24 % of 103 included patients with long-term type 1 diabetes in Holthe’s study. Moreover, when including previously diagnosed patients, 35 % had total obstructive coronary artery disease. Only 16 % had no plaque present. Undiagnosed obstructive coronary artery disease was associated with higher levels of HbA1c, and absent coronary artery disease was linked to lower levels of LDL-cholesterol.

The patients were compared to 75 spouses or friends without diabetes, and the odds of undiagnosed and obstructive coronary artery disease was tripled in the patient group. Furthermore, absent coronary artery disease was far more prevalent among the controls. All patients in the study had been diagnosed with diabetes more than 45 years ago, and took part in the Dialong study in 2015.

(1) The rest of Holthe’s PhD thesis focuses on musculoskeletal complications in type 1 diabetes. Such problems were significantly more common than in controls.

REFERENCES:

(1) Holte, K. B., Juel, N. G., Brox, J. I., Hanssen, K. F., Fosmark, D. S., Sell, D. R., Monnier, V. M., & Berg, T. J. (2017). Hand, shoulder and back stiffness in long-term type 1 diabetes; cross-sectional association with skin collagen advanced glycation end-products. The Dialong study. Journal of diabetes and its complications, 31(9), 1408-1414.

(2) Holte, K. B., Svanteson, M., Hanssen, K. F., Haig, Y., Solheim, S., & Berg, T. J. (2019). Undiagnosed coronary artery disease in long-term type 1 diabetes. The Dialong study. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications.