• G Novo, F Scordato, G Cerruto, G Vitale, G Ciaramitaro, G Coppola, M Farinella, A Rotolo, G Indovina, P Assennato, and S Novo.
• Section of CardioAngiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Nephrourological Disease, University Hospital ''P. Giaccone'', University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
• Minerva Cardioangiol. 2009 Apr 1;57(2):159-64.

AimType 2 diabetes is associated with an increase in the risk of coronary heart disease, by a factor of two to four. The scientific community has suggested that all patients with diabetes could be treated as if they had a prior coronary heart disease.MethodsA computer review of 11-year prevalence (from 1991 to 2002) of type 2 diabetes among 3242 patients admitted to the Intensive Coronary Care Unit of the Division of Cardiology of the University Hospital ''Paolo Giaccone'', Palermo, was carried out, with the diagnosis of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (51%), non ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (6%) or unstable angina (UA) (43%).ResultsPrevalence of type 2 diabetes was 31.5% on the overall population; in particular, a higher prevalence was found among STEMI affected patients (37% of the diabetic patients). The average number of days of an in-hospital stay was of 10.4+/-3.1 for diabetic patients without complications (N.=602) and of 15.9+/-4.4 for diabetic patients with clinical complications (N.=421) as compared with non diabetic patients non complicated (N.=1821) or complicated (N.=398), with an average in-hospital stay of 7.4+/-1 and 12.8+/-3.2 days respectively; P<0.005.ConclusionsDiabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome had more clinical complications (41.1% vs 17.9%, P=0.0001) and a longer in-hospital stay period, resulting in an increased management costs, in comparison with non diabetic patients.

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