Diabetes mellitus is one of the major risk factors for coronary artery disease. The disease progresses faster in diabetic patients and is associated with a worse prognosis. Although bypass surgery or percutaneous interventions with stent implantation provide quick symptomatic relief for patients with stable coronary artery disease, it has no substantial prognostic benefit. A multifactorial intervention including dietary measures, blood-glucose control, anti-hypertensive treatment, and regular physical exercise does have a positive influence on the modifiable risk factors, and improves among others cardiovascular fitness and angina-free exercise tolerance.
Diabetes mellitus; Coronary artery disease; Coronary artery bypass graft; Stent implantation; Multi-factorial intervention; Physical exercise