Impact of diabetes mellitus on patients over 70 years of age undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

ObjectiveWe evaluated in-hospital outcomes of diabetic and nondiabetic patients aged over 70 years after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).Patients and SettingAll patients aged over 70 years at our center, who underwent CABG between January 2003 and December 2008, were entered into this study. Diabetes in this study was defined as the need for oral medication or insulin.MethodsThe relevant preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative characteristics of selected patients were investigated, compiled, and retrospectively analyzed.ResultsOne hundred and twenty-one diabetic patients aged over 70 years, accounting for 30.8% of the total population, were entered into this study. Diabetic patients aged over 70 years were more likely to present with left main trunk disease (P = .0194), and less likely to have undergone previous percutaneous coronary intervention (P = .0121), compared with their nondiabetic counterparts. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that diabetic patients aged over 70 years had a higher rate only of deep sternal wound infection (odds ratio, 2.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.29 to 6.84; P = .0028), while sharing similar rates for other morbidities and mortality compared with nondiabetic patients aged over 70 years.ConclusionsElderly diabetic patients are not at significantly increased risk from CABG, compared with their nondiabetic peers.