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Abnormal glucose regulation (AGR) has serious prognostic implications in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However there are no records about patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), for whom the diagnosis of diabetes (known and unknown) may suppose a therapeutical implication of proved benefit (use of IIb/IIIa receptor blockers and drug-eluted stents). Our aim is to assess the current prevalence of abnormal glucose regulation in the patients referred to for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at University Hospital in Asturias, north of Spain. Prospective study. Patients with PCI for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are excluded. Those without previous known diabetes undergo a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 15 days after discharge. We use the WHO (1999) criteria based upon the measurement at FPG and 2 h after glucose intake. Data on 662 successive patients referred to PCI were collected over a period of 7 months. Eighty-two patients were excluded from the study (STEMI), leaving a total of 580 patient population. 167 patients were not studied due to previous known diabetes (28,8%), 75 out of 413 patients without previous diabetes were excluded due to different causes and 338 underwent the OGTT. Population profile: average age 64,9 years, males 79,9%, active smokers 28,3%, hypertension 49,7%, dyslipidemia 48,5%, BMI>30 Kg/m²:35, 7%, previous MI 37,2%, previous revascularization 15,1%, peripheral vascular disease 15,7%, PCI indication (stable angina 23,6%, UA/NSTEMI 76,4%). The results were: known diabetes 28,8%, unknown diabetes after OGTT: 16,2%, IGT: 24,5%, IFG: 1%, normoglycemia 29,5%. Among patients referred to PCI: a) 70,5% present some alterations in hydro carbonate metabolism, b) patients without previous known diabetes exhibited an anomalous OGTT in 57% cases (22% unknown diabetes mellitus). In this population, the OGTT has proved invaluable results to identify a large subset of high-risk patients in which secondary preventive and therapeutic measures should be initiated soon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the findings of a population-based cross-sectional study that compared the effectivity of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in diagnosing unknown diabetes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), conducted in Spain. An OGTT was administered based on the recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). The study found that the OGTT is 4 times more likely to diagnose unknown diabetes compared to the FPG.