Type 2 Diabetes as a “Coronary Heart Disease Equivalent”

Diabetes without prior myocardial infarction and prior myocardial infarction without diabetes indicate similar risk for CHD death in men and women. However, diabetes without any prior evidence of CHD (myocardial infarction or angina pectoris or ischemic ECG changes) indicates a higher risk than prior evidence of CHD in nondiabetic subjects, especially in women.