Shi L, Li NJ. Comprehensive analysis of risk factors associated with carotid plaque in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. World J Diabetes 2025; 16(8): 104180 [PMID: 40837341 DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i8.104180]
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07979888
Submitted on:
August 20, 2025, 02:51
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Reader Comments:
This is a well-structured, clinically relevant retrospective study that provides a comprehensive analysis of risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis in a high-risk population of patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). The findings are valid and align with established pathophysiological knowledge. This study successfully identifies and confirms a cluster of traditional and diabetes-related risk factors (age, glycemic control, renal function, SUA, HDL-C) that are independently associated with carotid plaque formation in T2DM patients. It provides a evidence-based rationale for clinicians to closely monitor UACR and SUA as part of a comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment.
As acknowledged, important confounding variables like diabetes duration, detailed lifestyle factors (diet, smoking, physical activity), medication use (e.g., SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 RAs, statins, allopurinol), and socioeconomic status were not accounted for, which could influence the results. The single-center study with a homogenous Chinese population limits the generalizability of the findings to other ethnic and geographic groups.
In summary, this is a solid, methodologically sound study that offers valuable clinical insights despite its inherent limitations, effectively serving as a foundation for further research rather than a practice-changing breakthrough. As the authors suggest, these findings should be validated in prospective, longitudinal, and multi-center studies with larger, more diverse cohorts. Integrating these biomarkers with imaging advances and other novel inflammatory or metabolic markers could lead to more powerful predictive models.
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