A total of 167 patients with isolated CAE and 150 controls with normal coronary arteries were selected from 10 505 patients undergoing coronary angiography. Serum GGT and hs-CRP levels were evaluated in addition to cardiovascular risk factors including family history, obesity, smoking, diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
Hypertension and obesity were slightly more prevalent in CAE patients than in controls, whereas diabetes was slightly less frequent in CAE patients. Other risk factors were similar. Serum GGT (22 [17–42] vs. 16 [13–21] U/l, p=0.001) and hs-CRP (2.9 [1.9–3.6] vs. 1.4 [1.1–1.8] mg/l, p=0.001) levels were higher in CAE patients than in controls. The presence of CAE was independently associated with diabetes (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.20–0.95, p=0.04), obesity (OR: 2.84, 95% CI: 1.07–7.56, p=0.04), GGT (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03–1.12, p=0.001) and hs-CRP levels (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 2.1–4.6, p=0.001). In addition, GGT and hs-CRP levels were higher in diffuse and multivessel ectasia subgroups than focal and single-vessel ectasia subgroups (each p<0.05).
Our findings show that CAE can be independently and positively associated with obesity, GGT and hs-CRP levels, but inversely with diabetes. Moreover, its severity may be related to GGT and hs-CRP levels.