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Is hyperglycemia associated with cardiovascular disease? The Framingham Study
P W Wilson1, L A Cupples, W B Kannel
1Framingham Heart Study, MA 01701.
American Heart Journal
|February 1, 1991
Summary
Nonfasting blood glucose levels are linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence in nondiabetic women. Hyperglycemia independently predicts CVD risk in women but not in men.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
- Understanding risk factors, including glycemic status, is crucial for CVD prevention.
- Previous research has explored the link between diabetes and CVD, but the role of nonfasting glucose in nondiabetic individuals requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively examine the association between nonfasting blood glucose levels and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a cohort from the Framingham Heart Study.
- To determine if hyperglycemia, even in the absence of diagnosed diabetes, is an independent risk factor for CVD in men and women.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 1382 men and 2094 women aged 45-84 years from the Framingham Heart Study, classified in 1970.
- Participants were followed for 10 years with examinations every 2 years to assess CVD development and diabetes mellitus.
- Blood glucose levels were measured, and participants were categorized as diabetic or nondiabetic at baseline and during follow-up.
Main Results:
- A total of 350 men and 369 women developed CVD during the 10-year follow-up period.
- Age-adjusted CVD rates were positively associated with higher glucose levels in nondiabetic women who did not develop diabetes during follow-up.
- Multivariate analyses confirmed that blood glucose levels were an independent predictor of later CVD in nondiabetic women, but no significant association was observed in men.
Conclusions:
- Hyperglycemia, indicated by nonfasting blood glucose levels, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in nondiabetic women.
- This finding suggests that elevated glucose levels may contribute to CVD risk even before the clinical diagnosis of diabetes in women.
- The association between nonfasting glucose and CVD risk was not observed in men within this cohort.