BACKGROUND
Silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) is more common in diabetic patients than among the general population. It is not yet established whether a routine screening test for SMI is necessary, and which screening test would be most useful. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of SMI detected by Thallium-201 perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: A total of 173 asymptomatic type 2 diabetic patients were included in the study. Thallium-201 perfusion SPECT was performed to screen for SMI. RESULTS: Among the 173 patients, abnormal perfusion patterns were found in 11 patients. Coronary angiography was carried out for these patients, and significant coronary artery stenosis was found in ten of them (positive predictive value; 90.9%). There was a significant association between SMI and overt albuminuria (OR = 7.33, 95% CI, 1.825-29.437). CONCLUSION: Thallium-201 perfusion SPECT is not sensitive enough to identify SMI, but is accurate in detecting decreased myocardial perfusion. This may be a useful screening tool for detecting SMI in type 2 diabetic patients with impaired renal function.