ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the diabetic population, accounting for close to 80% of the mortality in diabetic patients in North America (1,2). Patients with diabetes mellitus have both a significantly higher risk for, and a higher mortality from, coronary artery disease (CAD). The diabetic patient has a two-to four-fold increase in the risk for development of coronary artery disease (2-6). Furthermore, diabetes accounts for 10% of the population attributable risk of first myocardial infarction (MI) (7).
