Race and Survival among Diabetic Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Background Diabetes is a known predictor of decreased long-term survival after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Differences in survival by race have not been examined. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted for CABG patients between 1992 and 2011. Long-term survival was compared in patients with and without diabetes and stratified by race. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using a Cox regression model. Results Out of the 13,053 patients undergoing CABG, 35% (black n = 1,655; white n = 2,884) had diabetes at the time of surgery. The median follow-up for study participants was 8.2 years. Long-term survival after CABG was similar between black and white diabetic patients (no diabetes, HR = 1.0; white diabetic patients, adjusted HR = 1.5, 95%CI = 1.4- 1.6; black diabetic patients, adjusted HR = 1.5, 95%CI = 1.4-1.7). Conclusion A survival disadvantage after CABG was not observed among black versus white diabetic patients in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]