Type 2 diabetes does not attenuate racial differences in coronary calcification

Aims: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a strong predictor of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Whites appear to have a higher prevalence of CAC than African-Americans (AAs), but it is unknown if type 2 diabetes, a major cardiovascular risk factor, attenuates this difference. We investigated the relationship of race and CAC in a sample of patients with type 2 diabetes without clinical CVD. Methods: Multivariable analyses of self-reported ethnicity and CAC scores, stratified by gender, in 861 subjects [32% AA, 66.9% male] with type 2 diabetes. Results: AA race was associated with lower CAC scores in age-adjusted models in males [Tobit ratio for AAs vs. Whites 0.14 (95% CI 0.08-0.24, p< 0.001)] and females [Tobit ratio 0.26 (95% CI 0.09-0.77, p= 0.015)]. This persisted in men after adjustment for traditional, metabolic and inflammatory risk factors, but adjustment for plasma triglycerides [0.48 (95% CI 0.15-1.49, p= 0.201)] and HOMA-IR [0.28 (95% CI 0.08-1.03, p= 0.055)] partially attenuated the association in women. Conclusions: Relative to African-Americans, White race is a strong predictor of CAC, even in the presence of type 2 diabetes. The relationship in women appears less robust possibly due to gender differences in metabolic risk factors. © 2010.