Coronary artery distensibility in diabetic patients with simultaneous measurements of luminal area and intracoronary pressure: evidence of impaired reactivity to nitroglycerin.

Objectives: This study investigated whether noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) adversely affects the elastic properties of the coronary arteries in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and NIDDM.

Background: Attenuated vascular smooth muscle dilation to exogenous donors of nitric oxide, such as nitroglycerin, has been observed with forearm blood flow studies in patients with NIDDM.

Methods: Twenty patients with CAD and NIDDM (diabetics), and 20 patients with only CAD (nondiabetics) were evaluated.