Our study aimed to assess predictors of the stress test technique used and to evaluate the impact of exercise level achieved on risk stratification in patients with asymptomatic type 2 diabetes without a previous coronary artery disease. Little is known whether co-morbidities of these patients predict the stress technique and whether physical performance provides risk stratification: 400 patients underwent clinical evaluation and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) using physical or pharmacological stress. Physical patients were divided into 2 groups: achieving <6 and ≥6 METs, respectively. The mean follow-up time was 2 years. Major cardiac events (MACEs) included myocardial infarction and/or cardiac death. Independent predictors of pharmacological stress were a body mass index of >30 kg/m2 (hazard ratio 1.076, 95% confidence interval 1.027 to 1.127, p = 0.002) and a peripheral arterial disease (hazard ratio 2.888, 95% confidence interval 1.446 to 5.769, p = 0.003). Pharmacological patients had more MACE than physical patients (3.2% vs 1.0%, p = 0.03). Patients achieving <6 METs had a similar MACE rate as pharmacological patients (3.0% vs 3.2%, p = not significant) and more MACE than patients achieving ≥6 METs (3.0% vs 0.4%, p = 0.01). In patients achieving <6 METs and in pharmacological patients, MPS added an incremental prognostic value to pretest information (p values for global chi-square 0.012 and 0.04, respectively). In high-risk asymptomatic diabetic patients, co-morbidities were predictive of the stress technique used. Pharmacological patients had more MACE, similar to those unable to achieve 6 METs. MPS provided an incremental prognostic value in pharmacological patients and in patients with <6METs. In contrast, patients who were able to achieve ≥6 METs were at low risk and do not need further risk stratification.
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