[Screening for blood glucose abnormalities and coronary heart disease through routine annual examination (author's...

The authors address the two following questions: 1) Is detection of glycoregulation disorders possible from data yielded by routine annual examination (7,923 subjects)? 2) Do further investigations, carried out in a subdivision of subjects selected according to the risk of cardiovascular disease (n = 1,232), show a difference in the distribution of risk factors and risk indicators between patients and "healthy" individuals? Analysis of the results of this transversal study demonstrates a fact that is well-known concerning diabetes: even mild hyperglycemia (greater than or equal to 6 Mmol/l) is significantly correlated to age, excess weight and high systolic blood pressure. In both male and female subjects, there is a strong correlation between mean blood glucose concentration and the other biologic parameters that were studied (blood pressure, serum cholesterol, LDL/HDL cholesterol). Conversely, no correlation was found with smoking habits or with the intake of various dietary components. These results indicate that age, excess weight and increased blood pressure are simple data which are suggestive of abnormal glycoregulation. Comparison of risk factors and risk indicators in patients and "healthy" subjects showed significant differences for age, smoking habits and systolic blood pressure only. Glycemia, cholesterolemia and obesity were similar in both groups. These findings are evidence of the high risk in the subjects considered as "healthy", in whom the degree of atherosclerosis cannot be ascertained. Atherosclerosis in "healthy" individuals can certainly not be overlooked: in subjects with normal blood pressure, fundus examination showed a similar proportion of abnormalities in patients and "healthy" individuals.