Mortality in NSTEMI With Tachycardia is Influenced by Diabetes

Background: The presence of arrhythmias has been shown to predict mortality in patients presenting with Acute coronary syndrome. We evaluated if the association of Tachycardia and Mortality in Non-ST Elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients was independent of the presence of diabetes. Methods: Our study population included patients admitted for NSTEMI in a single center between 08/01/2016 and 09/30/2012. Diabetes (DM) was defined by a documented diagnosis or use of diabetic medication. Tachycardia was defined as heart rate (HR) >100 bpm. Results: A total of 543 patients were included in this analysis. The mean age was 66 ± 0.6 years, 50% (n-269) were diabetics, and mortality was 10% (n=54). In an unadjusted logistic regression, Tachycardia increased the odds of mortality, OR 2.05 (CI 1.15-3.65), p=0.016. After adjusting for all the risk factors and confounding variables, the relationship was no longer significant. This was however different after stratifying by the presence of diabetes. Diabetics had about four times the probability odds of death compared to non-diabetics in the fully adjusted model. See Table 1. Conclusion: The association of tachycardia and mortality in patients who presented with NSTEMI was dependent on the presence of diabetes. The study emphases the impact of diabetes on cardiovascular disease.