Unknown duration of diabetes among study participants

Ascertain the duration since diabetes diagnosis for each patient in the diabetic subgroup of the cohort who underwent coronary CT angiography and stress dynamic cardiac CT perfusion.

Background

The paper analyzes a cohort undergoing combined coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and stress cardiac CT perfusion (CCTP) to quantify myocardial blood flow (MBF) and distinguish obstructive coronary artery disease from coronary microvascular disease (MVD). A prominent finding is the high prevalence of reduced MBF in diabetic patients, consistent with diffuse microvascular dysfunction.

Interpretation of the diabetic subgroup is limited by missing information on the duration of diabetes among participants. The authors explicitly note this unknown, which constrains assessment of how diabetes-related factors may contribute to the observed MBF abnormalities in this group.