Evidence Hub

The Extent and Phenotype of Coronary Artery Disease in Diabetes and Prediabetes: Insights From Imaging Studies and Potential Therapeutic Implications

Gurgoglione FL, Navacchi R, Ristagno A, Benatti G, Solinas E, Tadonio I, Denegri A, Donelli D et al.

Reviews in cardiovascular medicine, 2026

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex metabolic disorder that is associated with a markedly increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality compared with the general population. Prediabetes, a heterogeneous intermediate glycemic state defined by impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and/or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels between 5.7% and 6.4%, is likewise associated with a significantly higher CV risk than normoglycemia. Over the past decade, both overall CAD burden and specific plaque morphologic features have been established as robust predictors of future adverse CV events using invasive and non-invasive coronary imaging modalities. More recently, growing evidence has highlighted the influence of glycemic abnormalities on the extent, progression, and phenotype of CAD, underscoring the interplay between metabolic dysfunction and atherosclerotic vulnerability. Therefore, this review aims to (i) elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms linking T2DM and prediabetes with atherogenesis, (ii) summarize findings from coronary imaging studies in these populations, and (iii) evaluate therapeutic strategies designed to promote plaque stabilization and regression.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free