Description
Acute myocardial infarction is more common in patients with diabetes mellitus and carries a worse prognosis. Hyperglycaemia is one determinant of poor outcome and effective glycaemic control, with intravenous insulin infusion for at least the first 24 hours, followed by subcutaneous insulin for at least 3 months, considerably reduces mortality. Patients with diabetes benefit at least as much from acute interventions, such as aspirin and thrombolysis, and secondary prevention therapies, such as betablockers, ACEI inhibitors and statins, as those without diabetes suffering an acute myocardial infarct. These tharapies are not contraindicted in those with diabetes to any greater extent than in the non-diabetic population and more optimal use of these treatment strategies is needed to improve prognosis in diabetic patients sustaining a myocardial infarct.
