Prediabetes and risk of heart failure: the link grows stronger

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Endocrinology
• Public Health

Background:

• Prediabetes is defined as a fasting plasma glucose concentration of 100-125 mg/dL.
• The association between prediabetes and cardiovascular morbidity, particularly heart failure, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between prediabetes and the lifetime risk of incident heart failure.
• To assess if this association varies across demographic groups.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Lifetime Risk Pooling Project.
• Analyzed fasting plasma glucose concentrations and incident heart failure events.

Main Results:

• Prediabetes was associated with a higher lifetime risk of heart failure in middle-aged White adults and Black women.
• The association attenuated in older Black women, suggesting demographic-specific risk.

Conclusions:

• Fasting glucose levels as low as 100 mg/dL indicate an increased risk of heart failure.
• Prediabetes should be recognized not only as a precursor to diabetes but also as a significant cardiovascular risk factor.