Association between a biomarker of glucose spikes, 1,5-anhydroglucitol, and cancer mortality

1,5-Anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) is a biomarker of glucose spikes. To evaluate the effect of acute glucose excursions on cancer death, we clarified the association between 1,5-AG and cancer mortality among Japanese individuals with normal glucose tolerance.

We measured 1,5-AG in 6783 (2842 men, 3941 women) individuals with normal fasting and 2-hour plasma glucose who received a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test between 1994 and 2012. They were followed for mortality until August 2013. A systematic review of death certificates was used to confirm the cause of death. We divided the participants into four groups according to the quartile of 1,5-AG level at registration. We used Cox regression to clarify the association between 1,5-AG levels and cancer mortality with multivariate adjustment for possible confounders.

During the follow-up period (median, 10.0 years), 140 men and 109 women died of cancer. The HR for cancer mortality of the lowest quartile group was higher than that of the highest quartile group in men (HR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.60 to 4.41) and in women (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 0.88 to 2.47). These associations were not attenuated with further adjustment for HbA1c.

1,5-AG was associated with high risk of cancer mortality in Japanese men after adjustment for HbA1c.