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Published on: January 7, 2018

Cardiovascular risk in patients with fasting blood glucose levels within normal range

David Pereg1, Avishay Elis, Yoram Neuman

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel. davidpe@post.tau.ac.il

The American Journal of Cardiology
|November 25, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Higher fasting glucose within the normal range is linked to increased cardiovascular risk. However, this association disappears when accounting for other common risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Preventive Medicine

Background:

  • Elevated fasting glucose above normal levels correlates with higher cardiovascular risk.
  • The relationship between fasting glucose levels within the normal range and cardiovascular risk remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between varying fasting glucose levels within the normal range and the risk of coronary revascularization.
  • To determine if fasting glucose levels, even within normal limits, predict cardiovascular events independently of other risk factors.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a large cohort (28,263 participants) with fasting glucose < 100 mg/dl.
  • Exclusion of individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
  • Follow-up for a mean of 5.9 years to record coronary revascularization events (PCI or CABG).

Main Results:

  • A progressive increase in coronary revascularization risk was observed with higher fasting glucose levels within the normal range (HR 1.73, P > 0.001).
  • This association lost statistical significance after adjusting for conventional coronary risk factors (HR 1.17, P = 0.328).
  • The initial association was attributed to a higher prevalence of other risk factors, not the glucose level itself.

Conclusions:

  • Fasting glucose levels within the normal range show an apparent association with increased cardiovascular risk.
  • This association is confounded by other conventional cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Fasting glucose levels within the normal range do not appear to independently predict cardiovascular events.

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