OBJECTIVE-The aim of this study was to determine the natural history of vascular remodeling of atherosclerotic plaques in patients with type 2 diabetes and the predictors of vessel shrinkage.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-In this serial intracoronary ultrasound (IVUS) study, 237 coronary segments from 45 patients enrolled in the DIABETES I, II, and III trials were included. Quantitative volumetric IVUS analyses (motorized pullbacks at 0.5 mm/s) were performed in the same coronary segment after the index procedure and at the 9-month follow-up. Nontreated mild lesions (angiographic stenosis Ͻ25%) with Ն0.5 mm plaque thickening and length of Ն5 mm assessed by IVUS were included. Vessel shrinkage was defined as a ⌬external elastic membrane area/⌬plaque area Ͻ 0. Statistical adjustment by multiple segments and multiple lesions per patient was performed.RESULTS-Vessel shrinkage was identified in 37.1% of segments and was associated with a significant decrease in lumen area at 9 months (vessel shrinkage, 10 Ϯ 4 mm 2 vs. non-vessel shrinkage, 11 Ϯ 4 mm 2 ; P ϭ 0.04). Independent predictors of vessel shrinkage were insulin requirements (odds ratio 4.6 [95% CI 1.40 -15.10]; P ϭ 0.01), glycated hemoglobin (1.5 [1.05-2.10]; P ϭ 0.02), apolipoprotein B (0.96 [0.94 -0.98]; P Ͻ 0.001), hypertension (3.7 [1.40 -10.30]; P ϭ 0.009), number of diseased vessels (5.6 [2.50 -12.50]; P Ͻ 0.001), and prior revascularization (17.5 [6.50 -46.90]; P Ͻ 0.001).CONCLUSIONS-This serial IVUS study suggests that progression of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes may be mainly attributed to vessel shrinkage. Besides, vessel shrinkage is influenced by insulin requirements and metabolic control and is associated with more advanced coronary atherosclerosis. Diabetes 58:209-214, 2009 C oronary artery remodeling is a phenomenon by which vessel dimension changes in response to atherosclerotic plaque accumulation. This concept was initially described by Glagov et al. (1) in a postmortem, histopathological study and confirmed by in vivo studies using intracoronary ultrasound (IVUS) analysis (2-7). Two different patterns of coronary remodeling have been described: a compensatory enlargement of the vessel in response to an increase of atherosclerotic plaque (positive remodeling) and a failure to enlarge or even vessel shrinkage (negative remodeling). The latter is a common finding in coronary stenosis of diabetic patients (8,9). In cross-sectional studies, negative remodeling has been associated with coronary risk factors, such as hypertension (5) and smoking (4), with the type of plaque (2,7) (calcified, hard plaques), and with metabolic control in diabetic patients (10 -12). In most studies, remodeling has been evaluated only at a single time point. Therefore, the natural history of this process has not been properly addressed. In addition, remodeling index has been assessed by comparing vessel dimension at target site and that at the most normal-looking cross-section within 10 mm from the lesion taken as reference segment (2-7). Howev...