Interestingly, multivariate Cox regression analysis based on the combination of diabetic status and PCSK9 levels revealed that patients in DM plus high PCSK9 levels, DM plus low PCSK9 levels and non-DM plus high PCSK9 levels groups had 5.233-fold (95% CI: 2.546–10.757), 3.033-fold (95% CI: 1.442–6.376) and 2.1-fold (95% CI: 1.174–3.757) higher risk of MACEs (all p < 0.05, Table 4 and Fig. 3b) than reference subgroup, respectively. The gene discussed is PCSK9; the disease is diabetes mellitus.