Impact of diabetes mellitus on vascular healing process after everolimus-eluting stent implantation: An optical coherence tomography study

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE To study the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on vascular healing process after implantation of everolimus-eluting stent (EES). METHODS/MATERIALS Data from 3 prospective studies (HEAL-EES, REVER, and RESERVOIR), including patients with EES implantation and OCT follow-up, were merged. Differences in vascular healing process assessed by OCT were compared between DM and non-DM using generalized estimating equations. Neointimal proliferation, neointimal signal pattern (high, low, and layered), and uncovered/malapposed struts were evaluated. RESULTS A total of 96 lesions (61 DM lesions and 35 non-DM lesions) were included. Mean OCT follow-up time was 8.9 ± 1.5 months and comparable between groups. DM were older, high frequently female and acute coronary syndrome, and received smaller stent than non-DM. No differences were observed in quantitative vascular healing process between groups. However, DM exhibited higher low and layered signal pattern neointima compared to non-DM at lesion level (p = 0.030) and cross-section level (p < 0.001). Uncovered/malapposed struts were comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS Quantitative vascular healing process was comparable between groups. However, DM was significantly associated with low signal pattern, which is characteristic of focal inflammation, after EES implantation. Further study might be required to study relationship between neointimal signal pattern and clinical events.