Assessment of pain intensity and analgesic requirements in patients with diabetes mellitus after STEMI

Introduction Patients with diabetes encounter a significantly higher risk of myocardial infarction, heart failure, and mortality following acute cardiac events. Examining pain intensity and analgesic needs in patients with diabetes can provide a comprehensive understanding of the pain experienced and individual analgesic needs in patients with diabetes. Aim of the study The aim was to assess pain intensity and analgesic requirements in patients with diabetes mellitus after STEMI. Material and Methods The study involved 104 participants (58 female and 46 male, with a mean age of approximately 72 years, M±SD= 11 yeas). The study was conducted at the Heart Institute, in the Intensive Cardiology Unit, and data were collected from patients following STEMI Participants were divided into two groups: 54 people with diabetes and 50 people without diabetes. The influence of factors such as gender, age, existing diseases, haemoglobin levels and the presence of diabetes on pain intensity was analysed. In the diabetes group, the effects of treatment method, duration of illness and diabetes compliance on pain intensity were also considered. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess pain, and analgesia requirement was assessed using an analgesic ladder. The level of significance wasp < 0.05. Results The analysis indicated the effect of diabetes on pain intensity in patients with myocardial infarction. Those with diabetes experienced significantly less pain, however glycated HbA1c levels above 7.0 mg/dl predisposed to experiencing more pain. The b standardized regression coefficient indicated for diabetes ,a strong negative correlation (β=-0.77 ,p = 0,008), and for HbA1c level ,a strong positive correlation (β=0.88 ,p =0,889). Comparative analysis of analgesics revealed lower usage in the diabetes group(p=0.002). Diabetes Patients, the most frequent use of first-line drugs while the group of patients without diabetes needed second-level analgesic treatment. Those with diabetes rated their pain level as low ,while the non-diabetic group was dominated by respondents with an intermediate pain level. Non-adherence to diabetic recommendations correlated with higher pain intensity , with a strong positive correlation (β coefficient=0.90, p = 0,010 ). No significant impact was observed based on gender, age, the presence of comorbidities, or the influence of diabetes treatment methods and duration on the intensity of perceived pain. Conclusions The analysis indicated the effect of diabetes on pain intensity in patients with myocardial infarction. Those with diabetes experienced significantly less pain than non-diabetes patients. Diabetes patients required a lower level of the analgesics ladder.