A New Zealand linkage study examining the associations between A1C concentration and mortality

A novel few shot learning derived architecture for long-term HbA1c prediction

Regular monitoring of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels is important for the proper management of diabetes. Studies demonstrated that lower levels of HbA1c play an essential role in reducing or delaying microvascular difficulties that arise from diabetes. In addition, there is an association between elevated HbA1c levels and the development of diabetes-related comorbidities. The advanced prediction of HbA1c enables patients and physicians to make changes to treatment plans and lifestyle to avoid elevated HbA1c levels, which can consequently lead to irreversible health complications. Despite the impact of such prediction capabilities, no work in the literature or industry has investigated the futuristic prediction of HbA1c using current blood glucose (BG) measurements. For the first time in the literature, this work proposes a novel FSL-derived algorithm for the long-term prediction of clinical HbA1c measures. More importantly, the study specifically targeted the pediatric Type-1 diabetic population, as an early prediction of elevated HbA1c levels could help avert severe life-threatening complications in these young children. Short-term CGM time-series data are processed using both novel image transformation approaches, as well as using conventional signal processing methods. The derived images are then fed into a convolutional neural network (CNN) adapted from a few-shot learning (FSL) model for feature extraction, and all the derived features are fused together. A novel normalized FSL-distance (FSLD) metric is proposed for accurately separating the features of different HbA1c levels. Finally, a K-nearest neighbor (KNN) model with majority voting is implemented for the final classification task. The proposed FSL-derived algorithm provides a prediction accuracy of 93.2%.

Relationship of Glycated Hemoglobin A1c with All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality among Patients with Hypertension

Both low and high glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels are well-established causal risk factors for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the general population and diabetic patients. However, the relationship between HbA1c with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among patients with hypertension is unclear. We used NHANES data from 1999 to 2014 as the basis for this population-based cohort study. Based on HbA1c levels (HbA1c > 5, HbA1c > 5.5, HbA1c > 6, HbA1c > 6.5, HbA1c > 7%), hypertensive patients were divided into five groups. An analysis of multivariable Cox proportional hazards was conducted based on hazard ratios (HRs) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The relationship between HbA1c and mortality was further explored using Kaplan–Meier survival curves, restricted cubic spline curves, and subgroup analyses. In addition, 13,508 patients with hypertension (average age 58.55 ± 15.56 years) were included in the present analysis, with 3760 (27.84%) all-cause deaths during a follow-up of 127.69 ± 57.9 months. A U-shaped relationship was found between HbA1c and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (all p for likelihood ratio tests were 0.0001). The threshold value of HbA1c related to the lowest risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was 5.3% and 5.7%, respectively. Below the threshold value, increased HbA1c levels reduced the risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51–0.90, p = 0.0078) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.57–1.05, p = 0.0969). Inversely, above the threshold value, increased HbA1c levels accelerated the risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.11–1.18, p < 0.0001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.16–1.29, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, A U-shape relationship was observed between HbA1c and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among hypertensive patients.

Association between haemoglobin A1c and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in middle-aged and older Koreans: a prospective cohort study

Background

This study aimed to examine associations between haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels over time and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in middle-aged and older Koreans.

Methods

Using 16 years of follow-up data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study, we analysed 9294 individuals aged 40–69 years with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer. Participants were divided into a known diabetes group and five groups categorized by HbA1c levels (< 5.0%, 5.0–5.4%, 5.5–5.9%, 6.0–6.4%, and ≥ 6.5%). Hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality associated with HbA1c levels were calculated using a conventional and a time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model. Restricted cubic spline models were fitted to investigate the relationship between continuous HbA1c levels and mortality among people without known diabetes. Subgroup analyses were performed for age, sex, smoking, hypertension, liver diseases, and red blood cell counts.

Results

During a median follow-up period of 15.7 years, there were 944 deaths, including 185 deaths from CVD, 359 from cancer, and 125 from all external causes. Compared with participants with HbA1c levels of 5.5–5.9%, multivariate-adjusted HRs and 95% confidence intervals for all-cause death of participants with levels < 5.0%, 5.0–5.4%, 6.0–6.4%, and ≥ 6.5% and participants with known diabetes were 1.84 (1.35–2.51), 1.13 (0.95–1.34), 1.30 (1.04–1.62), 1.37 (0.97–1.93), and 2.03 (1.70–2.44), respectively. The risk of cancer mortality was significantly increased in HbA1c < 5.0% (HR, 2.21; 95% CI 1.42–3.44) and known diabetes (HR, 1.60; 95% CI 1.18–2.15). When we performed diverse subgroup analyses, low HbA1c levels at baseline were strongly associated with mortality in participants with liver diseases.

Conclusions

We found U-shaped associations between HbA1c levels at baseline and over time and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older Koreans. Additionally, the risk of cancer mortality increased both in low and high HbA1c groups, but CVD mortality increased only in high HbA1c group. In particular, people with liver diseases and low HbA1c levels had a high risk of all-cause mortality. Therefore, more careful management of these groups is suggested to identify any deteriorating health conditions.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12986-022-00682-4.

Glycated Hemoglobin as an Integrator of Cardiovascular Risk in Individuals Without Diabetes: Lessons from Recent Epidemiologic Studies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Prediabetes, or dysglycemia in the absence of diabetes, is a prevalent condition typically defined by a glycated hemoglobin (HgbA1c) of 5.7- < 6.5%. This article reviews current contemporary data examining the association between prediabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well as HgbA1c as a continuous measure of cardiovascular risk across the glycemic spectrum.

RECENT FINDINGS

Dysglycemia in the prediabetic range is associated with an increased risk of both subclinical and clinical CVD, including atherosclerotic CVD, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure. Several recent large, prospective studies demonstrate roughly linear risk with increasing HgbA1c, even below the threshold for prediabetes. "High-risk" patients with prediabetes have similar CVD risk as those with diabetes. HgbA1c below the threshold for diabetes stratifies CVD risk. Use of HgbA1c as a continuous measure, rather than simply dichotomized, may inform current and future prevention strategies. Given the high population attributable risk associated with prediabetes, targeted prevention strategies in this population warrant dedicated study.

Glycated Albumin and Risk of Mortality in the US Adult Population

BACKGROUND

Glycated albumin is of growing interest as an alternative biomarker of glycemia. However, the association of glycated albumin with long-term outcomes in the general population is uncharacterized. We evaluated the associations of glycated albumin and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with mortality in US adults.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective analysis of 12 915 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. We used Cox regression to characterize associations of glycated albumin and HbA1c with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality through 2014. We categorized glycated albumin based on percentiles corresponding to clinical cut-points for HbA1c. No diagnosed diabetes: <5.0% (<12th percentile), 5.0% to 5.6% (12th-82nd percentile, reference), 5.7% to 6.4% (83rd-97th percentile), and ≥6.5% (≥98th percentile). Diagnosed diabetes: <7.0% (<50th percentile), 7.0% to 8.9% (50th-83rd percentile), and ≥9.0% (≥84th percentile).

RESULTS

Among US adults (mean age 46 years), the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes was 6.8%. Glycated albumin and HbA1c were highly correlated (r = 0.76). Over the median 16.8 years follow-up, there were 2818 deaths (652 cardiovascular). Adults with diagnosed diabetes and glycated albumin ≥84th percentile had the highest risk for all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 3.96, 95% CI 3.06-5.13] and cardiovascular mortality (HR 6.80, 95% CI 4.20-11.03). HbA1c had associations with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality that were similar to those for glycated albumin.

CONCLUSIONS

Among US adults, increased values of glycated albumin and HbA1c were associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, particularly in persons with diagnosed diabetes. Glycated albumin may be a useful alternative test of glycemia.

Association of glycated hemoglobin A1c levels with cardiovascular outcomes in the general population: results from the BiomarCaRE (Biomarker for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Europe) consortium

BACKGROUND

Biomarkers may contribute to improved cardiovascular risk estimation. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is used to monitor the quality of diabetes treatment. Its strength of association with cardiovascular outcomes in the general population remains uncertain. This study aims to assess the association of HbA1c with cardiovascular outcomes in the general population.

METHODS

Data from six prospective population-based cohort studies across Europe comprising 36,180 participants were analyzed. HbA1c was evaluated in conjunction with classical cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) for association with cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence, and overall mortality in subjects without diabetes (N = 32,496) and with diabetes (N = 3684).

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier curves showed higher event rates with increasing HbA1c levels (log-rank-test: p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis revealed significant associations between HbA1c (in mmol/mol) in the total study population and the examined outcomes. Thus, a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.16 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.31, p = 0.02) for cardiovascular mortality, 1.13 (95% CI 1.03-1.24, p = 0.01) for CVD incidence, and 1.09 (95% CI 1.02-1.17, p = 0.01) for overall mortality was observed per 10 mmol/mol increase in HbA1c. The association with CVD incidence and overall mortality was also observed in study participants without diabetes with increased HbA1c levels (HR 1.12; 95% CI 1.01-1.25, p = 0.04) and HR 1.10; 95% CI 1.01-1.20, p = 0.02) respectively. HbA1c cut-off values of 39.9 mmol/mol (5.8%), 36.6 mmol/mol (5.5%), and 38.8 mmol/mol (5.7%) for cardiovascular mortality, CVD incidence, and overall mortality, showed also an increased risk.

CONCLUSIONS

HbA1c is independently associated with cardiovascular mortality, overall mortality and cardiovascular disease in the general European population. A mostly monotonically increasing relationship was observed between HbA1c levels and outcomes. Elevated HbA1c levels were associated with cardiovascular disease incidence and overall mortality in participants without diabetes underlining the importance of HbA1c levels in the overall population.

Low HbA1c levels and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality among people without diabetes: the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2015

OBJECTIVE

It is unclear whether relatively low glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels are beneficial or harmful for the long-term health outcomes among people without diabetes. We aimed to investigate the association between low HbA1c levels and mortality among the US general population.

METHODS

This study includes a nationally representative sample of 39 453 US adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999-2014, linked to mortality data through 2015. We employed the parametric g-formula with pooled logistic regression models and the ensemble machine learning algorithms to estimate the time-varying risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by HbA1c categories (low, 4.0 to <5.0%; mid-level, 5.0 to <5.7%; prediabetes, 5.7 to <6.5%; and diabetes, ≥6.5% or taking antidiabetic medication), adjusting for 72 potential confounders including demographic characteristics, lifestyle, biomarkers, comorbidities and medications.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up of 7.5 years, 5118 (13%) all-cause deaths, and 1116 (3%) cardiovascular deaths were observed. Logistic regression models and machine learning algorithms showed nearly identical predictive performance of death and risk estimates. Compared with mid-level HbA1c, low HbA1c was associated with a 30% (95% CI, 16 to 48) and a 12% (95% CI, 3 to 22) increased risk of all-cause mortality at 5 years and 10 years of follow-up, respectively. We found no evidence that low HbA1c levels were associated with cardiovascular mortality risk. The diabetes group, but not the prediabetes group, also showed an increased risk of all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Using the US national database and adjusting for an extensive set of potential confounders with flexible modelling, we found that adults with low HbA1c were at increased risk of all-cause mortality. Further evaluation and careful monitoring of low HbA1c levels need to be considered.

Glycaemic markers and all-cause mortality in older adults with and without diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

There is controversy regarding the performance of HbA1c in old age. We evaluated the prognostic value of HbA1c and other glycaemic markers (fructosamine, glycated albumin, fasting glucose) with mortality risk in older adults (66-90 years).

METHODS

This was a prospective analysis of 5636 participants (31% with diagnosed diabetes, mean age 76, 58% female, 21% black) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, baseline 2011-2013. We used Cox regression to examine associations of glycaemic markers (modelled in categories) with mortality risk, stratified by diagnosed diabetes status.

RESULTS

During a median of 6 years of follow-up, 983 deaths occurred. Among older adults with diabetes, 30% had low HbA1c (<42 mmol/mol [<6.0%]) and 10% had high HbA1c (≥64 mmol/mol [≥8.0%]); low (HR 1.32 [95% CI 1.04, 1.68]) and high (HR 1.86 [95% CI 1.32, 2.62]) HbA1c were associated with mortality risk vs HbA1c 42-52 mmol/mol (6.0-6.9%) after demographic adjustment. Low fructosamine and glycated albumin were not associated with mortality risk. Both low and high fasting glucose were associated with mortality risk. After further adjustment for lifestyle and clinical risk factors, high HbA1c (HR 1.81 [95% CI 1.28, 2.56]), fructosamine (HR 1.96 [95% CI 1.43-2.69]), glycated albumin (HR 1.81 [95% CI 1.33-2.47]) and fasting glucose (HR 1.81 [95% CI 1.24, 2.66]) were associated with mortality risk. Low HbA1c and fasting glucose were no longer significantly associated with mortality risk. Among participants without diabetes, associations of glycaemic markers with mortality risk were less robust.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Elevated HbA1c, fructosamine, glycated albumin and fasting glucose were associated with risk of mortality in older adults with diabetes. Low HbA1c and fasting glucose may be markers of poor prognosis but are possibly confounded by health status. Our findings support the clinical use of HbA1c in older adults with diabetes. Graphical abstract.

Prognostic value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and glycosylated hemoglobin for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with single concomitant chronic total occlusion following primary percutaneous coronary intervention: A prospective observational study

To investigate factors predicting the onset of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) for patients with non-ST-segment elevation infarction (NSTEMI) and single concomitant chronic total occlusion (CTO). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) both play essential role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular homoeostasis. However, current knowledge of its predictive prognostic value is limited.422 patients with NSTEMI and CTO (59.7 ± 12.4 years, 74.2% men) who underwent successful pPCI were enrolled and followed for 2 years. Multivariate cox regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to determine the factors predicting MACCEs.140 patients (33.2%) experienced MACCEs in the follow-up period. Multivariate cox regression analysis found when we process the model with NGAL at admission, low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF, HR = 0.963, 95% CI 0.940 to 0.987, P = .003) and fasting blood glucose (HR = 1.078, 95% CI 1.002 to 1.159, P = .044), but not NGAL at admission, were independent predictors of 2 years MACCEs. While HbA1C (HR = 1.119, 95% CI 1.014 to 1.234, P = .025), LVEF (HR = 0.963, 95% CI 0.939 to 0.987, P = .003), estimated glomerular filtration rate (HR = 1.020, 95% CI 1.006 to 1.035, P = .006) and NGAL value 7 day (HR = 1.020, 95% CI 1.006 to 1.035, P = .006) showed their predictive value in another model. ROC analysis indicated NGAL 7 day (AUC = 0.680, P = .0054 and AUC = 0.622, P = .0005) and LVEF (AUC = 0.691, P = .0298 and AUC = 0.605, P = .0021) could predict both in-hospital and 2 years MACCEs, while higher NGAL at admission could only predict poorer in-hospital prognosis (AUC = 0.665, P = .0103). Further analysis showed the prognostic value of NGAL was particularly remarkable among those HbA1C<6.5%.Patients with NSTEMI and single concomitant CTO receiving pPCI with higher NGAL on 7 days during hospitalization are more likely to suffer 2 years MACCEs, particularly in those with lower HbA1C.

HbA1c predicts long-term postoperative mortality in patients with unknown glycemic status at admission for vascular surgery: An exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) represent major public health challenges and are tightly associated. To facilitate early diagnosis, HbA1c has been implemented as the preferred diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of type 2 DM. In this study, we compared and evaluated HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and 2-hour post-load glucose values to determine which test best predicted mortality in patients with PAD.

METHODS

In all, 273 PAD patients with unknown glycemic status admitted to Haukeland University Hospital for elective surgery between October 2006 and September 2007 were included in the study. All 273 patients underwent a standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in addition to determination of HbA1c; patients were then grouped into those with DM, intermediate hyperglycemia, and normoglycemia according to World Health Organization and International Expert Committee criteria.

RESULTS

All-cause mortality was 40% over a 9-year follow-up period. After adjusting for age, sex, and relevant medication, HbA1c was a predictor for mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.32]; P = 0.04). The association did not achieve statistical significance in a fully adjusted Cox regression model, although the effect estimation of HbA1c on all-cause mortality remained largely unchanged (HR 1.39; 95% CI 0.92-2.09; P = 0.13). The OGTT was not a predictor of long-term mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that HbA1c is a useful marker in the preoperative screening of patients of unknown glycemic status at the time of admission for vascular surgery, and may identify people at high risk of long-term mortality following surgical treatment for PAD.

Investigating differences in dietary patterns among a small cross-sectional study of young and old Pacific peoples in NZ using exploratory factor analysis: a feasibility study

OBJECTIVES

Obesity among Pasifika people living in New Zealand is a serious health problem with prevalence rates more than twice those of the general population (67% vs 33%, respectively). Due to the high risk of developing obesity for this population, we investigated diet quality of Pacific youth and their parents and grandparents. Therefore, we examined the dietary diversity of 30 youth and their parents and grandparents (n=34) to identify whether there are generational differences in dietary patterns and investigate the relationship between acculturation and dietary patterns.

METHODS

The study design of the overarching study was cross-sectional. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with Pasifika youth, parents and grandparents to investigate dietary diversity, that included both nutritious and discretionary food items and food groups over a 7 day period. Study setting was located in 2 large urban cities, New Zealand. Exploratory factor analyses were used to calculate food scores (means) from individual food items based on proportions consumed over the week, and weights were applied to calculate a standardised food score. The relationship between the level of acculturation and deprivation with dietary patterns was also assessed.

RESULTS

Three distinctive dietary patterns across all participants were identified from our analyses. Healthy diet, processed diet and mixed diet. Mean food scores indicated statistically significant differences between the dietary patterns for older and younger generations. Older generations showed greater diversity in food items consumed, as well as eating primarily a 'healthy diet'. The younger generation was more likely to consume a 'processed diet'. There was significant association between acculturation and deprivation with the distinctive dietary patterns.

CONCLUSION

Our investigation highlighted generational differences in consuming a limited range of food items. Identified dietary components may, in part, be explained by specific acculturation modes (assimilation and marginalised) and high socioeconomic deprivation among this particular study population.

Association of Low Fasting Glucose and HbA1c With Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: The MESA Study

Trials of intensive glucose control have not improved cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in populations with type 2 diabetes; however, in the general population, reports are inconsistent about the effects of maintaining lower glucose levels. Some speculate that low glycemic values are associated with increased glycemic variability, which is in turn associated with higher CVD risk. It has also been suggested that fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the lower ranges have a different relationship with CVD and mortality. In 4990 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, we used logistic regression to investigate associations of low fasting glucose (<80 mg/dL) and HbA1c (<5.0%) from baseline and averaged across follow-up with incident CVD and mortality over 13 years. We used normal glycemic ranges (80 to <100 mg/dL and 5.0 to <5.7%) as references and analyzed glycemic levels with visit-matched covariates. We adjusted for potential confounding by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, smoking status, body mass index, total cholesterol level, cholesterol medications, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hypertension. Low baseline glucose and HbA1c were positively, but not significantly, associated with mortality, whereas low average fasting glucose and HbA1c were strongly and significantly associated with incident CVD [glucose OR, 2.04 (95% CI, 1.38-3.00); HbA1c OR, 2.01 (95% CI, 1.58-2.55)] and mortality [glucose OR, 1.93 (95% CI, 1.33-2.79); HbA1c OR, 2.51 (95% CI, 2.00-3.15)]. These results were not due to type 2 diabetes or medication use. Glucose variability did not explain CVD risk beyond average glucose levels. Chronic low fasting glucose and HbA1c may be better indicators of risk than a single low measurement.

Visit-to-Visit Variability of Hemoglobin A1c in People Without Diabetes and Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to study whether visit-to-visit variability of glycated hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) is associated with incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), all-cause mortality, and type 2 diabetes in people without diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We included primary care patients with no history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease and with three annual HbA_1c measurements within normal range (<6.5% [48 mmol/mol]). For each individual, we measured the HbA_1c variability as the SD of the residuals obtained from a linear regression on the three HbA_1c measurements. From the linear regression, we also obtained the estimated index HbA_1c (intercept) and the trend over time (slope). Follow-up began at the date of the third measurement. Associations between HbA_1c variability and outcome were analyzed using Cox regression, adjusted for traditional risk factors, intercept, and trend and reported as hazard ratio per SD increase in variability (HR_SD).

RESULTS

In total, 6,756 individuals were included. During a median follow-up time of 6.3 years, 996 developed MACE, 856 died, and 1,267 developed type 2 diabetes. We found a significant association between increasing HbA_1c variability and incident MACE (HR_SD 1.09 [95% CI 1.03-1.15]) and all-cause mortality (HR_SD 1.13 [95% CI 1.07-1.20]), whereas there were no associations with type 2 diabetes (HR_SD 1.00 [95% CI 0.95-1.05]). We calculated 5-year absolute risks of MACE and all-cause mortality and found clinically relevant differences across several age, sex, comorbidity, and HbA_1c variability-defined subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

In a primary care population free of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, high HbA_1c variability was associated with increased risks of MACE and all-cause mortality.

Epilepsy is a neurological and a systemic disorder

The basic pathophysiology of epilepsy is still not fully understood. Epidemiological evidence for epilepsy seems to suggest that it may not only be the propensity for seizures to occur. The high prevalence of comorbidity and the finding that premature mortality is still increased in those who are in long-term remission, suggest that there is a systemic component to the condition. This systemic component is an additional shared risk factor that can explain an important proportion of the comorbidities of epilepsy as well as how an individual with inactive epilepsy remains at an elevated risk of premature mortality. This systemic component can be viewed from the perspective of a number of fundamental pathophysiological processes: inflammation, oxidative stress, glycation, and methylation capacity. These processes are associated with all-cause mortality and there is also a growing understanding of their impact on seizure processes. We propose that epilepsy be considered as the sum of seizures and comorbidities caused by systemic dysfunction, and that the comprehensive management of epilepsy should also include the management of the systemic dysfunction.

Critical assessment of health disparities across subpopulation groups through a social determinants of health perspective: The case of type 2 diabetes patients

BACKGROUND

Studies on diabetes have shown that population subgroups have varying rates of medical events and related procedures; however, existing studies have investigated either medical events or procedures, and hence, it is unknown whether disparities exist between medical events and procedures.

PURPOSE

The objective of this study is to investigate how diabetes-related medical events and procedures are different across population subgroups through a social determinants of health (SDH) perspective.

METHODS

Because the purpose of this manuscript is to explore whether statistically significant health disparities exist across population subgroups regarding diabetes patients' medical events and procedures, group difference test methods were employed. Diabetes patients' data were drawn from the Cerner Health Facts® data warehouse.

RESULTS

The study revealed systematic disparities across population subgroups regarding medical events and procedures. The most significant disparities were connected with smoking status, alcohol use, type of insurance, age, marital status, and gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Some population subgroups have higher rates of medical events and yet receive lower rates of treatments, and such disparities are systematic. Socially constructed behaviors and structurally discriminating public policies in part contribute to such systematic health disparities across population subgroups.

Salsalate improves glycaemia in overweight persons with diabetes risk factors of stable statin-treated cardiovascular disease: A 30-month randomized placebo-controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To assess long-term efficacy and safety of salsalate to improve glycemia in persons with diabetes risk, who are overweight with statin-treated, stable coronary heart disease.

METHODS

Glycemic status was assessed in 192 persons without diabetes at baseline in a pre-specified secondary analysis from Targeting INflammation Using SALsalate in CardioVascular Disease (TINSAL-CVD), a multi-center, double-masked, randomized (1:1), placebo-controlled, parallel clinical trial.

RESULTS

Participants were mostly Caucasian males, age 60±7 years, BMI 31.4±3.0 kg/m² , fasting glucose 92.8±11.0 mg/dL, and HbA1c 5.8±0.3%. Reductions in mean fasting glucose -5.70 mg/dL (95%CI: -7.44 to -3.97 mg/dL, P<0.001), HbA1c -0.11% (95%CI: -0.210 to -0.002%, P=0.046) and glycated serum protein -81.8 μg/mL (95%CI: -93.7 to -69.9 μg/mL, P<0.001) were demonstrated in salsalate compared to placebo-assigned groups over 30 months. Reductions in fasting glucose and glycated serum protein were greater with salsalate compared to placebo in participants with prediabetes compared to a normoglycemic sub-group (P_interaction =0.018). Salsalate lowered total white blood cell counts (mean difference -0.7x10³ /μL, 95%CI: -1.0 to -0.4 x10³ /μL, P<0.001) and increased adiponectin (mean difference 1.8 μg/mL, 95%CI: 0.9 to 2.6 μg/mL, P<0.001) and albuminurea (16.7 μg/mg, 95%CI: 6.4 to 27.1 μg/mg, P<0.001) compared to placebo, consistent with previous results for patients with type 2 diabetes taking salsalate for shorter times.

CONCLUSIONS

Salsalate improves glycemia in obese persons at increased risk for diabetes, and hence may decrease risk of incident type 2 diabetes. Salsalate may inform new therapeutic approaches for diabetes prevention, but renal safety may limit clinical utility.

Associations of mortality and cardiovascular disease risks with diabetes and albuminuria in urban Indigenous Australians: the DRUID follow-up study

AIM

To assess the relationships of diabetes and albuminuria with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease outcomes in a population without prior cardiovascular disease using data from the Darwin Region Urban Indigenous Diabetes (DRUID) study.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 706 participants (aged 15-81 years, 68% women) without prior cardiovascular disease who underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Deaths and fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular disease were determined over 7 years, and hazard ratios with 95% CIs and population attributable risks were estimated for baseline glycaemia and albuminuria.

RESULTS

Compared with normoglycaemia and after adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and smoking, known diabetes was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 4.8 (95% CI 1.5-14.7) for all-cause mortality and 5.6 (95% CI 2.1-15.2) for cardiovascular disease. Compared with normoalbuminuria, the respective adjusted risks for macroalbuminuria were 10.9 (95% CI 3.7-32.1) and 3.9 (95% CI 1.4-10.8). The Adjusted all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease estimated population attributable risks for diabetes were 27% and 32%, and for albuminuria they were 32% and 21%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study population, the burden of mortality and cardiovascular disease was largely driven by diabetes and albuminuria. This finding on the influence of diabetes and albuminuria is consistent with reports in other high-risk Indigenous populations and should be better reflected in risk scores and intervention programmes.

Associations of mid-pregnancy HbA1c with gestational diabetes and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in high-risk Taiwanese women

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to investigate the associations among the mid-pregnancy glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, gestational diabetes (GDM), and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women without overt diabetes and with positive 50-g, 1-h glucose challenge test (GCT) results (140 mg/dL or greater).

METHODS

This prospective study enrolled 1,989 pregnant Taiwanese women. A two-step approach, including a 50-g, 1-h GCT and 100-g, 3-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), was employed for the diagnosis of GDM at weeks 23-32. The mid-pregnancy HbA1c level was measured at the time the OGTT was performed. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the relationship between the mid-pregnancy HbA1c level and GDM. Multiple logistic regression models were implemented to assess the relationships between the mid-pregnancy HbA1c level and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

An ROC curve demonstrated that the optimal mid-pregnancy HbA1c cut-off point to predict GDM, as diagnosed by the Carpenter-Coustan criteria using a two-step approach, was 5.7%. The area under the ROC curve of the mid-pregnancy HbA1c level for GDM was 0.70. Compared with the levels of 4.5-4.9%, higher mid-pregnancy HbA1c levels (5.0-5.4, 5.5-5.9, 6.0-6.4, 6.5-6.9, and >7.0%) were significantly associated with increased risks of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia, preterm delivery, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, low birth weight, and macrosomia (the odds ratio [OR] ranges were 1.20-9.98, 1.31-5.16, 0.88-3.15, 0.89-4.10, and 2.22-27.86, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The mid-pregnancy HbA1c level was associated with various adverse pregnancy outcomes in high-risk Taiwanese women. However, it lacked adequate sensitivity and specificity to replace the two-step approach in the diagnosis of GDM. The current study comprised a single-center prospective study; thus, additional, randomized control design studies are required.

HbA1c in relation to incident diabetes and diabetes-related complications in non-diabetic adults at baseline

AIMS

We compared the utility of glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) and oral glucose tolerance (oGTT) in non-diabetic patients for identifying incident diabetes; all-cause mortality; cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality; CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and ischemic stroke events; and diabetes microvascular complications.

METHODS

Data from a New Zealand community setting were prospectively linked to hospitalization, mortality, pharmaceutical and laboratory test results data. After applying exclusion criteria (prior laboratory diagnosis or history of drug treatment for diabetes or hospitalization for diabetes or CVD event), there were 31,148 adults who had an HbA_1c and 2-h 75g oGTT. HbA_1c was measured by ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography, and glucose using a commercial enzymatic method. We compared glycemic measures and outcomes using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 4years (range 0 to 13). The mean age was 57·6years and 53·0% were male. After adjusting for other glycemic measures (fasting glucose, 2-h glucose and/or HbA_1c where relevant) in addition to age, sex, ethnicity and smoking habit, the hazard ratios for incident diabetes and diabetes complications of retinopathy and nephropathy were highest for 2-h glucose levels, followed by HbA_1c and lastly by fasting glucose. However, all-cause mortality and CHD were significantly associated with HbA_1c concentrations only, and ischemic stroke and CVD events with 2-h glucose only. Circulatory complications showed a stronger association with HbA_1c.

CONCLUSION

Apart from neuropathy, HbA_1c showed stronger associations with outcomes compared to fasting glucose and provides a convenient alternative to an oGTT.

Glycated hemoglobin level is an independent predictor of major adverse cardiac events after nonfatal acute myocardial infarction in nondiabetic patients: A retrospective observational study

The effect of glycemic control on the prognosis of nondiabetic patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains uncertain. We investigated whether glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is associated with adverse outcomes after AMI in nondiabetic patients. In this observational study, we enrolled nondiabetic patients with AMI in the emergency department of 2 medical centers from January 2011 to September 2014. All patients received primary percutaneous coronary intervention and were divided into 4 groups according to the interquartile range of average HbA1c level (Group I, ≤5.6%; Group II, 5.6%-5.8%; Group III, 5.8%-6.0%; and Group IV, >6.0%). Multivariate logistic analysis was performed to estimate the correlation of HbA1c with major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) after AMI. In total, 267 eligible patients were enrolled; 48 patients (18%) developed MACEs within a median follow-up of 178 days. Univariate analysis showed HbA1c > 6.0%, with a higher risk of MACEs in Group IV than in Group I (odds ratio [OR]: 2.733; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.123-6.651 vs OR: 1.511; 95% CI: 0.595-3.835). Multivariate analysis revealed an approximately 3.8 times higher risk of MACEs in Group IV than in Group I (OR: 3.769; 95% CI: 1.30-10.86). The HbA1 level is a significant predictor of MACEs after AMI in nondiabetic patients.

Distribution of Glycated Haemoglobin According to Early-Life and Contemporary Characteristics in Adolescents and Adults without Diabetes: The 1982 and 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohorts

Aim

Glycated haemoglobin (HbA_1c), a marker of glucose control in individuals with diabetes mellitus, is also related with the incidence of cardiometabolic risk in populations free of disease. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of HbA_1c levels according to early-life and contemporary factors in adolescents and adults without diabetes mellitus.

Methods

HbA_1c was measured in adults aged 30 years and adolescents aged 18 years who are participants in the 1982 and 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohorts, respectively. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to describe the HbA_1c mean values according to early-life and contemporary characteristics collected prospectively since birth.

Results

The distribution of the HbA_1c was approximately normal in both cohorts, with a mean (SD) 5.10% (0.43) in the 1982 cohort, and 4.89% (0.50) in the 1993 cohort. HbA_1c mean levels were significantly higher in individuals self-reported as black/brown skin color compared to those self-reported as white in both cohorts. Parental history of diabetes was associated with higher HbA_1c mean in adults, while stunting at one year old presented an inverse relation with the outcome in adolescents. No other early and contemporary factors were associated with HbA_1c levels in adults or adolescents.

Conclusions

We found a consistent relationship between HbA_1c and skin color in both cohorts. Further research is needed to understand the role of genomic ancestry on levels of HbA_1c concentrations which may inform policies and preventive actions for diabetes mellitus and cardiometabolic risk.

HbA1c levels in non-diabetic older adults - No J-shaped associations with primary cardiovascular events, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality after adjustment for confounders in a meta-analysis of individual participant data from six cohort studies

BACKGROUND

To determine the shape of the associations of HbA1c with mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in non-diabetic individuals and explore potential explanations.

METHODS

The associations of HbA1c with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and primary cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction or stroke) were assessed in non-diabetic subjects ≥50 years from six population-based cohort studies from Europe and the USA and meta-analyzed. Very low, low, intermediate and increased HbA1c were defined as <5.0, 5.0 to <5.5, 5.5 to <6.0 and 6.0 to <6.5% (equals <31, 31 to <37, 37 to <42 and 42 to <48 mmol/mol), respectively, and low HbA1c was used as reference in Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

Overall, 6,769 of 28,681 study participants died during a mean follow-up of 10.7 years, of whom 2,648 died of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, 2,493 experienced a primary cardiovascular event. A linear association with primary cardiovascular events was observed. Adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors explained about 50% of the excess risk and attenuated hazard ratios (95 confidence interval) for increased HbA1c to 1.14 (1.03-1.27), 1.17 (1.00-1.37) and 1.19 (1.04-1.37) for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events, respectively. The six cohorts yielded inconsistent results for the association of very low HbA1c levels with the mortality outcomes and the pooled effect estimates were not statistically significant. In one cohort with a pronounced J-shaped association of HbA1c levels with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (NHANES), the following confounders of the association of very low HbA1c levels with mortality outcomes were identified: race/ethnicity; alcohol consumption; BMI; as well as biomarkers of iron deficiency anemia and liver function. Associations for very low HbA1c levels lost statistical significance in this cohort after adjusting for these confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

A linear association of HbA1c levels with primary cardiovascular events was observed. For cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, the observed small effect sizes at both the lower and upper end of HbA1c distribution do not support the notion of a J-shaped association of HbA1c levels because a certain degree of residual confounding needs to be considered in the interpretation of the results.

Association of 1,5-Anhydroglucitol With Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality

In diabetes, low concentrations of the biomarker 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) reflect hyperglycemic excursions over the prior 1-2 weeks. To the extent that hyperglycemic excursions are important in atherogenesis, 1,5-AG may provide independent information regarding cardiovascular risk. Nonetheless, few studies have evaluated associations of 1,5-AG with long-term cardiovascular outcomes in a population-based setting. We measured 1,5-AG in 11,106 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study without cardiovascular disease at baseline (1990-1992) and examined prospective associations with coronary heart disease (n = 1,159 events), ischemic stroke (n = 637), heart failure (n = 1,553), and death (n = 3,120) over 20 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Compared with persons with 1,5-AG ≥6 μg/mL and no history of diabetes, persons with diabetes and 1,5-AG <6.0 μg/mL had an increased risk of coronary heart disease (HR 3.85, 95% CI 3.11-4.78), stroke (HR 3.48, 95% CI 2.66-4.55), heart failure (HR 3.50, 95% CI 2.93-4.17), and death (HR 2.44, 95% CI 2.11-2.83). There was a threshold effect, with little evidence for associations at "nondiabetic" concentrations of 1,5-AG (e.g., >10 μg/mL). Associations remained but were attenuated with additional adjustment for fasting glucose or HbA1c. These data add to the growing evidence for the prognostic value of 1,5-AG for long-term complications in the setting of diabetes.

Association Between Glycosylated Hemoglobin and Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Older Adults without Diabetes Mellitus in the General Population: The Leiden 85-Plus Study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and incident cardiovascular disease and mortality in 85-year-old individuals without diabetes mellitus from the general population.

DESIGN

Population-based prospective follow-up study.

SETTING

General population.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals without known diabetes mellitus (N = 445, n = 291 female).

MEASUREMENTS

HbA1c levels were categorized into three groups (<5.0% (31 mmol/mol), 5.0-5.7% (31-39 mmol/mol; reference), 5.7-6.5% (39-48 mmol/mol)).

RESULTS

At baseline, a history of myocardial infarction (MI) was more prevalent in subjects in the highest HbA1c group (18%) than in the reference group (7%) (P = .001). Prospectively, those with the highest level of HbA1c at baseline had a risk of incident MI during the 5-year follow-up that was 3.6 (95% confidence interval = 1.5-8.3) times as great as that of the reference group. No association was found between HbA1c level and incident stroke, cardiovascular mortality, or all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSION

In individuals aged 85 and older without diabetes mellitus, higher HbA1c is associated with greater risk of MI but not with stroke and mortality.

Fructosamine and Glycated Albumin and the Risk of Cardiovascular Outcomes and Death

BACKGROUND

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is the standard measure to monitor glucose control in diabetes mellitus and is a marker of future cardiovascular risk. Fructosamine and glycated albumin are markers of short-term glycemic control, but their associations with cardiovascular outcomes are uncharacterized.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We measured glycated albumin and fructosamine in 11 104 participants with and without diabetes in the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study in 1990 to 1992 (baseline). We evaluated associations of fructosamine and glycated albumin with risk of coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, heart failure, and mortality. We compared associations with those observed for HbA1c. During two decades of follow-up there were 1096 new cases of coronary heart disease, 605 of ischemic stroke, 1432 of heart failure, and 2860 deaths. Elevated baseline concentrations of fructosamine and glycated albumin were significantly associated with each of the outcomes even after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, with especially strong associations in persons with diabetes mellitus. Associations were of similar magnitude to those observed for HbA1c and-as has been previously observed for HbA1c-the associations tended to be J-shaped, with an elevation of risk at the lowest levels of each biomarker.

CONCLUSIONS

The acceptance of new measures of hyperglycemia is partly dependent on establishing their association with long-term outcomes. We found that fructosamine and glycated albumin were associated with vascular outcomes and mortality and that these associations were similar to those observed for HbA1c.

Association between hemoglobin A1c and all-cause mortality: results of the mortality follow-up of the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the association of HbA1c-defined glycemic status and continuous HbA1c with all-cause mortality.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The study population comprised 6,299 participants (aged 18-79 years) of the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998, who were followed up for mortality for an average of 11.6 years. Glycemic status was defined as known diabetes (self-reported diagnosis or intake of antidiabetic medication) and based on HbA1c levels according to American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria as undiagnosed diabetes (≥6.5% [≥48 mmol/mol]), prediabetes with very high (6.0-6.4% [42-46 mmol/mol]) or high diabetes risk (5.7-5.9% [39-41 mmol/mol]), and normoglycemia (<5.7% [<39 mmol/mol]). Associations between glycemic status and mortality were examined by Cox regression adjusting for age, sex, education, lifestyle factors, anthropometric measures, and history of chronic diseases (reference: normoglycemia). Spline models were fitted to investigate associations between continuous HbA1c and mortality among participants without known diabetes.

RESULTS

Excess mortality risk was observed for participants with known diabetes (hazard ratio 1.41 [95% CI 1.08-1.84]) and undiagnosed diabetes (1.63 [1.23-2.17]) but not for those with high (1.02 [0.80-1.30]) or very high diabetes risk (0.87 [0.67-1.13]). Spline models revealed a U-shaped association, with lowest risk at HbA1c levels 5.4-5.6% (36-38 mmol/mol) and a significantly increased risk at ≤5.0% (≤31 mmol/mol) and ≥6.4% (≥46 mmol/mol).

CONCLUSIONS

Unlike known and undiagnosed diabetes, HbA1c levels in the prediabetic range were not associated with an increased mortality risk. The observed U-shaped relationship adds to existing evidence that not only high but also low HbA1c levels might be associated with all-cause mortality.

The relationship between glycated hemoglobin and complexity of coronary artery lesions among older patients with diabetes mellitus

Objectives

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between HbA1c levels and the complexity of coronary artery lesions among the older patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled a total of 3805 consecutive type 2 DM patients aged 60 years and older who underwent their first elective coronary angiography and had their HbA1c levels measured at the Chinese PLA General Hospital between December 2005 and December 2012.The complexity of the coronary artery lesions was evaluated using the Syntax score, and the subjects were divided into three groups according to their HbA1c levels. Logistic regression and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the association between the measured HbA1c levels and Syntax score.

Results

The mean age was 72.3±10.6 years. The higher HbA1c levels were significantly associated with higher Syntax score (p<0.001). The unadjusted correlation coefficient of HbA1c levels and the Syntax score was 0. 371 (p<0.001). In addition, the higher HbA1c categories were able to independently predict patients with intermediate or high Syntax score (Syntax score ≥23) after adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia and creatinine levels in the logistic regression analysis.

Conclusion

HbA1c is significantly associated with the complexity of coronary lesions among older patients with DM. A higher HbA1c value is an independent predictor of the prevalence of complex coronary lesions. Further prospective multi-centre studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Fatty liver and serum cholinesterase are independently correlated with HbA1c levels: cross-sectional analysis of 5384 people

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fatty liver markers.

METHODS

This cross-sectional analysis stratified subjects into quintiles based on HbA1c. Fatty liver using ultrasonography scores (FLUS) were assigned as follows: 2 points, moderate or severe fatty liver; 1 point, mild fatty liver; and 0 points, normal liver. Subjects with viral hepatitis, alcohol intake >175 g/week or receiving hypoglycaemic treatment were excluded.

RESULTS

The study included 5384 subjects. Serum cholinesterase (ChE) and FLUS showed a significant graded increase with increasing HbA1c. In linear regression analysis stratified by body mass index (BMI) and age, ChE and FLUS were significantly associated with lower (1 + 2) and higher (3 + 4 + 5) HbA1c quintiles, respectively, independent of BMI and age.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings show that both ChE and FLUS are significantly correlated with HbA1c, independent of BMI and age.

Haemoglobin A1c even within non-diabetic level is a predictor of cardiovascular disease in a general Japanese population: the Hisayama Study

Background

There is little information about predictive ability of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Asians. To investigate the discriminatory ability of HbA1c to identify subjects who are at greater risk of developing CVD in a prospective study of a defined community-dwelling Japanese population.

Methods

A total of 2,851 subjects aged 40–79 years were stratified into five groups (HbA1c levels with ≤ 5.0, 5.1–5.4, 5.5–6.4, and ≥ 6.5% and a group with antidiabetic medication) and followed up prospectively for 7 years (2002–2009).

Results

During the follow-up, 119 subjects developed CVD. The multivariable-adjusted risk of CVD was significantly increased in subjects with HbA1c levels of 5.5–6.4 and ≥ 6.5% and diabetic medication compared to HbA1c level with ≤ 5.0% (hazard ratio, 2.26 [95% confidence interval, 1.29–3.95] for the 5.5–6.4%; 4.43 [2.09–9.37] for the ≥ 6.5%; and 5.15 [2.65–10.0] for the antidiabetic medication group). With regard to CVD subtype, the positive associations between HbA1c levels and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischaemic stroke were also significant, but no such associations were seen for haemorrhagic stroke. The C statistic for developing CVD was significantly increased by adding HbA1c values to the model including other risk factors (0.789 vs. 0762, p = 0.006), and the net reclassification improvement was 0.105 (p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that elevated HbA1c levels are an independent risk factor for CVD, especially CHD and ischaemic stroke, and that the addition of HbA1c to the model with traditional risk factors significantly improves the predictive ability of CVD.

HbA1c and the risks for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the general Japanese population: NIPPON DATA90

OBJECTIVE

Associations between HbA1c and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been reported mainly in Western countries. It is not clear whether HbA1c measurements are useful for assessing CVD mortality risk in East Asian populations.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The risk for cardiovascular death was evaluated in a large cohort of participants selected randomly from the overall Japanese population. A total of 7,120 participants (2,962 men and 4,158 women; mean age 52.3 years) free of previous CVD were followed for 15 years. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs among categories of HbA1c (<5.0%, 5.0-5.4%, 5.5-5.9%, 6.0-6.4%, and ≥6.5%) for participants without treatment for diabetes and HRs for participants with diabetes were calculated using a Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

During the study, there were 1,104 deaths, including 304 from CVD, 61 from coronary heart disease, and 127 from stroke (78 from cerebral infarction, 25 from cerebral hemorrhage, and 24 from unclassified stroke). Relations to HbA1c with all-cause mortality and CVD death were graded and continuous, and multivariate-adjusted HRs for CVD death in participants with HbA1c 6.0-6.4% and ≥6.5% were 2.18 (95% CI 1.22-3.87) and 2.75 (1.43-5.28), respectively, compared with participants with HbA1c <5.0%. Similar associations were observed between HbA1c and death from coronary heart disease and death from cerebral infarction.

CONCLUSIONS

High HbA1c levels were associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality and death from CVD, coronary heart disease, and cerebral infarction in general East Asian populations, as in Western populations.

Influence of smoking and diet on glycated haemoglobin and 'pre-diabetes' categorisation: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

The new HbA1c criteria for diagnosis of pre-diabetes have been criticised for misdiagnosis. It is possible that some elevation of HbA1c is not driven by hyperglycaemia. This study assesses associations of HbA1c, commonly assumed to relate solely to glucose concentration, with (i) smoking, a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and (ii) fruit & vegetables consumption associated with improved redox status.

METHODS

One-way ANOVA, Chi-squared and multivariate linear regressions, adjusted for all known confounders were used to explore associations of HbA1c with self-reported smoking status and fruit & vegetables consumptions in the Scottish Health Surveys 2003-2010, among individuals without known diabetes and HbA1c < 6.5%.

RESULTS

Compared to non-smokers (n = 2831), smokers (n = 1457) were younger, consumed less fruit & vegetables, had lower physical activity levels, lower BMI, higher HbA1c and CRP (p < 0.05). HbA1c was higher in smokers by 0.25 SDs (0.08%), and 0.38 SDs higher (0.14%) in heavy smokers (>20 cigarettes/day) than non-smokers (p < 0.001 both). Smokers were twice as likely to have HbA1c in the 'pre-diabetic' range (5.7-6.4%) (p < 0.001, adj.model). Pre-diabetes and low grade inflammation did not affect the associations. For every extra 80 g vegetable portion consumed, HbA1c was 0.03 SDs (0.01%) lower (p = 0.02), but fruit consumption did not impact on HbA1c, within the low range of consumptions in this population.

CONCLUSION

This study adds evidence to relate smoking (an oxidative stress proxy) with protein glycation in normoglycaemic subjects, with implications for individuals exposed to ROS and for epidemiological interpretation of HbA1c.

Serum glucose and fructosamine in relation to risk of cancer

BACKGROUND

Impaired glucose metabolism has been linked with increased cancer risk, but the association between serum glucose and cancer risk remains unclear. We used repeated measurements of glucose and fructosamine to get more insight into the association between the glucose metabolism and risk of cancer.

METHODS

We selected 11,998 persons (>20 years old) with four prospectively collected serum glucose and fructosamine measurements from the Apolipoprotein Mortality Risk (AMORIS) study. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess standardized log of overall mean glucose and fructosamine in relation to cancer risk. Similar analyses were performed for tertiles of glucose and fructosamine and for different types of cancer.

RESULTS

A positive trend was observed between standardized log overall mean glucose and overall cancer risk (HR= 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02-1.14). Including standardized log fructosamine in the model resulted in a stronger association between glucose and cancer risk and aninverse association between fructosamine and cancer risk (HR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.08-1.26 and HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.82-0.96, respectively). Cancer risks were highest among those in the highest tertile of glucose and lowest tertile of fructosamine. Similar findings were observed for prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer while none observed for breast cancer.

CONCLUSION

The contrasting effect between glucose, fructosamine, and cancer risk suggests the existence of distinct groups among those with impaired glucose metabolism, resulting in different cancer risks based on individual metabolic profiles. Further studies are needed to clarify whether glucose is a proxy of other lifestyle-related or metabolic factors.

All-cause mortality and pharmacological treatment intensity following a high risk screening program for diabetes. A 6.6 year follow-up of the ADDITION study, Denmark

AIM

To study all-cause mortality and pharmacological treatment intensity in relation to baseline glucose metabolism and HbA1c following high risk screening for diabetes in primary care.

METHODS

Persons aged 40-69 years (N=163,185) received mailed diabetes risk questionnaires. 20,916 persons without diabetes but with high risk of diabetes were stratified by glucose metabolism (normal glucose tolerance (NGT), dysglycemia (IFG or IGT) or diabetes) and by HbA1c at screening (<6%, 6.0-6.4% or ≥ 6.5%). Median follow-up was 6.6 years. Excess mortality was calculated by hazard ratio.

RESULTS

HR for all-cause mortality increased with increasing levels of HbA1c at screening in people with NGT and dysglycemia. In people with screen detected diabetes the opposite relation was found. In people with diabetes redeemed prescription rates for lipid-, blood pressure- and glucose-lowering drugs increased significantly following screening and prescription rates increased with increasing levels of HbA1c at screening. The same trend in redeemed prescriptions was seen for people with dysglycemia and NGT, but the absolute rates were significantly lower than those among people with screen detected diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms HbA1c as an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in non-diabetic individuals. A likely explanation for the inverse relation found between all-cause mortality and HbA1c at screening among those with screen detected diabetes would be that intensive treatment near-normalizes mortality. The small group of people with NGT and HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, who had the highest all-cause mortality, may benefit from being labelled and treated as having diabetes although this group may have special characteristics not accounted for in this study.

Low hemoglobin A(1c) in nondiabetic adults: an elevated risk state?

OBJECTIVE

To identify predictors of low hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) (<5.0%) and to investigate the association of low HbA(1c) with cause-specific mortality and risk of liver disease hospitalization.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Prospective cohort study of 13,288 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Logistic regression was used to identify cross-sectional correlates of low HbA(1c), and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association of low HbA(1c) with cause-specific mortality.

RESULTS

Compared with participants with HbA(1c) in the normal range (5.0 to <5.7%), participants with low HbA(1c) were younger, less likely to smoke, had lower BMI, lower white cell count and fibrinogen levels, and lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and history of coronary heart disease. However, this group was more likely to have anemia and had a higher mean corpuscular volume. In adjusted Cox models with HbA(1c) of 5.0 to <5.7% as the reference group, HbA(1c) <5.0% was associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.13-1.55) and of cancer death (1.47, 95% CI: 1.16-1.84). We also noted nonsignificant trends toward increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes (1.27, 95% CI: 0.93-1.75) and respiratory causes (1.42, 95% CI: 0.78-2.56). There was a J-shaped association between HbA(1c) and risk of liver disease hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

No single cause of death appeared to drive the association between low HbA(1c) and total mortality. These results add to evidence that low HbA(1c) values may be a generalized marker of mortality risk in the general population.

Association between HbA1c and cardiovascular disease mortality in older Hong Kong Chinese with diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between baseline HbA(1c) level and mortality attributable to all-cause, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke.

METHODS

A total of 2137 Chinese aged 65 years or above attending the Elderly Health Service, Department of Health, Hong Kong, with diagnosed diabetes had HbA(1c) measured during 1998 to 2000 and were followed up to 2009. Information on socio-economic position, lifestyle factors and disease history was collected. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals with adjustment for potential confounders were calculated using Cox's proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

After an average of 7.9 years of follow-up, 540 participants had died. After adjusting for potential confounders, higher HbA(1c) (≥ 69 mmol/mol, 8.5%) increased the risk of cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio 2.11;95% CI 1.37-3.25) and stroke mortality (hazard ratio 2.43; 95% CI 1.06-5.55) compared with HbA(1c) of 58-68 mmol/mol (7.5-8.4%), and increased the risk of all-cause (hazard ratio 1.41; 95% CI 1.06-1.86) and coronary heart disease mortality (hazard ratio 2.44; 95% CI 1.11-5.37) compared with HbA(1c) of 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) or less. Analysis of HbA(1c) as a continuous variable showed that every XX mmol/mol (1%) increase in HbA(1c) decreased stroke mortality risk by 51% in those with HbA(1c) level less than 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) and increased stroke mortality risk by 30% in those with an HbA(1c) level of 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) or higher, suggesting a U-shaped association between HbA(1c) and stroke mortality.

CONCLUSION

High HbA(1c) predicted excess risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke mortality. The question of whether low HbA(1c) increases mortality in older patients with diabetes needs further investigation.

Glycated hemoglobin and cancer incidence and mortality in the Atherosclerosis in Communities (ARIC) Study, 1990-2006

Diabetes is a risk factor for many cancers; chronic hyperglycemia is hypothesized to be, in part, explanatory. We evaluated the association between glycated hemoglobin, a time-integrated glycemia measure, and cancer incidence and mortality in nondiabetic and diabetic men and women. We conducted a prospective study of 12,792 cancer-free participants attending the second visit (1990-1992) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. We measured glycated hemoglobin in whole-blood samples using HPLC. Incident cancers were ascertained from registries and hospital records through 2006. We estimated multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of cancer incidence and mortality for nondiabetic participants with values ≥ 5.7% (elevated), nondiabetic participants with <5.0% (low) and diabetic participants all compared with nondiabetic participants with 5.0-5.6% (normal). We ascertained 2,349 incident cancer cases and 887 cancer deaths. Compared with nondiabetic women with normal glycated hemoglobin, nondiabetic women with elevated values had an increased risk of cancer incidence (HR:1.24; 95% CI:1.07,1.44) and mortality (HR:1.58; 95% CI:1.23,2.05) as did diabetic women (incidence, HR:1.30; 95% CI:1.06,1.60, mortality, HR:1.96; 95% CI:1.40,2.76). Nondiabetic women with low values also had increased risk. Diabetic women with good glycemic control (<7.0%) had a lower cancer risk than those with higher values. Glycated hemoglobin in nondiabetic and diabetic men, and diabetes were not statistically significantly associated with total cancer risk. Our findings support the hypothesis that chronic hyperglycemia, even in the nondiabetic range, increases cancer risk in women. Maintaining normal glycated hemoglobin overall, and good glycemic control among diabetic adults, may reduce the burden of cancer, especially in women.

Additional use of glycated hemoglobin for diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in people undergoing coronary angiography reveals a subgroup at increased cardiovascular risk

OBJECTIVE

To study the prognosis of people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes as per the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2010 definition but without diabetes as per the ADA 2009 definition.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 2,002 participants of the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study without a history of diabetes were studied.

RESULTS

During the follow-up of a mean duration ± SD of 7.7 ± 2.0 years, 346 people died (202 cardiovascular deaths). Subjects with type 2 diabetes as per the ADA 2009 definition (n = 468) had significantly increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared with people without diabetes as per the ADA 2010 definition (both P ≤ 0.003). Subjects with type 2 diabetes as per the ADA 2010 definition but without diabetes as per the ADA 2009 definition (n = 150) were at significantly increased risk to die of cardiovascular diseases (P = 0.029).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of the ADA 2010 diabetes definition may be instrumental in improving cardiovascular risk stratification in people undergoing coronary angiography.

Race-ethnicity as an effect modifier of the association between HbAlc and mortality in U.S. adults without diagnosed diabetes

OBJECTIVE

HbAlc is increasingly appreciated as a risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in the non-diabetic population. In this study, we investigated the association between HbAlc and mortality with a particular focus on the impact of race-ethnicity. Design Cohort study.

METHODS

We analyzed the association between HbAlc and all-cause and CVD mortality in 12 698 non-diabetic adults 20 years or older from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey using separate models for people of different race-ethnicity.

RESULTS

In our stratified analyses, higher non-diabetic HbAlc levels were associated with all-cause and CVD mortality in non-Hispanic whites only. In this group, compared with HbAlc values of 5.0-<5.35%, the multivariable-adjusted estimated hazard ratios (est. HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for all-cause mortality were 1.21 (0.92, 1.58), 1.22 (1.03, 1.45), 1.29 (1.14, 1.47), and 1.4 (1.02, 1.87) for HbAlc levels of <5.0, 5.35-<5.7, 5.7-<6.5, and 6.5% or greater respectively. The association did not reach significance in Mexican-Americans (est. HR (95% CI): 1.77 (1.08, 2.91), 0.81 (0.56, 1.19), 1.16 (0.86, 1.57), and 1.4 (0.83, 2.36)). No association was observed in non-Hispanic blacks: 1.13 (0.91, 1.39), 0.81 (0.61, 1.08), 0.84 (0.69, 1.03), and 0.94 (0.67, 1.33). Results were similar for CVD mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest limitations of HbAlc as a risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality across race-ethnic populations.

No evidence of an increased mortality risk associated with low levels of glycated haemoglobin in a non-diabetic UK population

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

There is debate about increased mortality risk associated with low levels of glycaemia. To address this issue, we examined the shape of the risk relationship between glycated haemoglobin and mortality in a UK population.

METHODS

In 17,196 men and women aged 39-82 years participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study in Norfolk without known diabetes or cardiovascular disease, we estimated HRs for total and cause-specific mortality comparing categories of glycated haemoglobin (<4.5%, 4.5% to <5.0%, 5.0% to <5.5% [reference], 5.5% to <6.0%, 6.0% to <6.5%, and ≥6.5%) using Cox regression.

RESULTS

During a mean (±SD) follow-up of 11.2 (±2.1) years 1,953 participants died. The HR for all-cause mortality increased with categories of increasing glycated haemoglobin in adjusted analyses (HR 0.94 [95% CI 0.72-1.22], 0.99 [0.86-1.13], 1.00 [0.92-1.08], 1.10 [1.02-1.19], 1.29 [1.14-1.46] and 1.45 [1.16-1.80]). Spline regression suggested no increased risk at the low end of the distribution. Indeed, the HR for all-cause mortality was virtually constant in the low range and only started to rise when the level was approximately 5.5%. There were similar associations of glycated haemoglobin with cause-specific mortality, with the strongest association being seen for cardiovascular mortality.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Our findings in a large non-diabetic population do not support the concern about increased mortality risk with low glycated haemoglobin. Differences in population characteristics might explain contrary results of earlier studies and need further exploration.

Categories of glucose tolerance and continuous glycemic measures and mortality

We investigated the association of undiagnosed diabetes, previously known diabetes and prediabetes (WHO 1999 classification) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in an older German population. Previous study results for mortality in patients with very low levels of HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and 2-h plasma glucose (2hPG) are still inconclusive. Thus we have extended the analyses to continuous measures of glycemia. A total of 1,466 subjects aged 55-74 years from the population-based KORA survey S4 (conducted from 1999 to 2001) were included in our observational mortality study (152 subjects with previously known diabetes, and 1,314 further subjects who underwent oral glucose tolerance tests). Mortality was followed up for a maximum of 10.0 years (median follow-up 8.8 years). A total of 180 (12.3%) of the 1,466 subjects have died during the follow-up period. The age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were 2.6 (95%CI, 1.7-3.8) for known diabetes, 2.8 (95%CI, 1.7-4.4) for undiagnosed diabetes, and 1.1 (95%CI, 0.8-1.7) for prediabetes [reference: normal glucose tolerance (NGT)]. After multivariable adjustment, undiagnosed diabetes was associated with 3.0-fold increased cancer mortality, 1.1-fold increased cardiovascular mortality, and 4.7-fold increased non-cancer, non-cardiovascular mortality compared with NGT. For HbA1c, FPG, and 2hPG, J-shaped associations with all-cause mortality were observed. Undiagnosed diabetes is associated with increased all-cause, cancer, and non-cancer non-cardiovascular mortality, but not with cardiovascular mortality in this older population. All-cause mortality in undiagnosed diabetes is similar to that in previously known diabetes but much higher than mortality in prediabetes and NGT.

Glycated hemoglobin predicts all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in people without a history of diabetes undergoing coronary angiography

OBJECTIVE

Glycated hemoglobin has been suggested to be superior to fasting glucose for the prediction of vascular disease and death from any cause. The aim of the present work was to analyze and compare the predictive value of glycated hemoglobin and fasting glucose on all-cause and cause-specific mortality in subjects who underwent coronary angiography.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied 2,686 participants of the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular health study without a history of diabetes. The majority of this cohort had coronary artery disease. Glycated hemoglobin was measured at the baseline examination. The mean (± SD) duration of the follow-up for all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality was 7.54 ± 2.1 years.

RESULTS

A total of 508 deaths occurred during the follow-up. Of those, 299 were accounted for by cardiovascular diseases and 79 by cancer. Baseline glycated hemoglobin was predictive of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) (95% CI) for glycated hemoglobin values of <5.0, 5.0-5.4, 5.5-5.9, 6.0-6.4, 6.5-7.4, and ≥7.5% for all-cause mortality were 1.36 (0.85-2.18), 1.00 (0.76-1.32), 1.00 (reference), 1.11 (0.88-1.41), 1.39 (1.07-1.82), and 2.15 (1.32-3.53), respectively. Similar J-shaped relationships were found between glycated hemoglobin and cardiovascular and cancer mortality. The associations of glycated hemoglobin with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality remained significant after inclusion of fasting glucose as a covariate. However, fasting glucose was not significantly related to mortality when adjusting for glycated hemoglobin.

CONCLUSIONS

Glycated hemoglobin significantly and independently of fasting glucose predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in whites at intermediate to high cardiovascular risk.

Haemoglobin A1c is superior to fasting glucose in predicting the incidence of diabetes over 8 years among Chinese

Baseline haemoglobin A1c had a higher standardized hazard ratio, and more optimal sensitivity and specificity than fasting glucose in predicting the 8-year incidence of diabetes among 530 non-diabetic Chinese from the population-based Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study.

HbA1c as predictor of all-cause mortality in individuals at high risk of diabetes with normal glucose tolerance, identified by screening: a follow-up study of the Anglo-Danish-Dutch Study of Intensive Treatment in People with Screen-Detected Diabetes in Primary Care (ADDITION), Denmark

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Stepwise screening for type 2 diabetes will not only identify people with the disease or some other form of dysglycaemia (impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance), but also many individuals who are phenotypically at high risk of developing diabetes, but currently have normal glucose tolerance (NGT). We therefore sought to assess whether HbA(1c) adds prognostic information in relation to all-cause mortality in people who have NGT and a high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

In a Danish population-based stepwise screening programme for type 2 diabetes mellitus in general practice, we identified 15,634 persons at high risk of type 2 diabetes, who had NGT and a recorded HbA(1c) measurement. As comparison groups, we included 1,401 people identified as having type 2 diabetes mellitus and 8,149 individuals characterised as being at low risk of diabetes. All individuals were followed from time of screening (April 2001 to December 2006) until death or 31 October 2009. Excess mortality was estimated using Cox proportional hazard models with all-cause mortality as the outcome measure.

RESULTS

Compared with individuals with NGT and HbA(1c) below 6.0%, adjusted hazard ratios were: 1.21 (95% CI 0.95-1.56) for individuals with NGT and HbA(1c) between 6.0% and 6.5%; 2.48 (95% CI 1.23-4.99) for individuals with NGT and HbA(1c) 6.5% or above (in this group there were eight deaths among 68 individuals); 1.73 (95% CI 1.40-2.13) for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

HbA(1c) level in people with NGT and at high risk of diabetes was clearly associated with increased all-cause mortality.

Glycated hemoglobin, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk in nondiabetic adults

BACKGROUND

Fasting glucose is the standard measure used to diagnose diabetes in the United States. Recently, glycated hemoglobin was also recommended for this purpose.

METHODS

We compared the prognostic value of glycated hemoglobin and fasting glucose for identifying adults at risk for diabetes or cardiovascular disease. We measured glycated hemoglobin in whole-blood samples from 11,092 black or white adults who did not have a history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease and who attended the second visit (occurring in the 1990-1992 period) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

RESULTS

The glycated hemoglobin value at baseline was associated with newly diagnosed diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes. For glycated hemoglobin values of less than 5.0%, 5.0 to less than 5.5%, 5.5 to less than 6.0%, 6.0 to less than 6.5%, and 6.5% or greater, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) for diagnosed diabetes were 0.52 (0.40 to 0.69), 1.00 (reference), 1.86 (1.67 to 2.08), 4.48 (3.92 to 5.13), and 16.47 (14.22 to 19.08), respectively. For coronary heart disease, the hazard ratios were 0.96 (0.74 to 1.24), 1.00 (reference), 1.23 (1.07 to 1.41), 1.78 (1.48 to 2.15), and 1.95 (1.53 to 2.48), respectively. The hazard ratios for stroke were similar. In contrast, glycated hemoglobin and death from any cause were found to have a J-shaped association curve. All these associations remained significant after adjustment for the baseline fasting glucose level. The association between the fasting glucose levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease or death from any cause was not significant in models with adjustment for all covariates as well as glycated hemoglobin. For coronary heart disease, measures of risk discrimination showed significant improvement when glycated hemoglobin was added to models including fasting glucose.

CONCLUSIONS

In this community-based population of nondiabetic adults, glycated hemoglobin was similarly associated with a risk of diabetes and more strongly associated with risks of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause as compared with fasting glucose. These data add to the evidence supporting the use of glycated hemoglobin as a diagnostic test for diabetes.

Colesevelam HCl improves fasting plasma glucose and lipid levels in patients with prediabetes

Although colesevelam hydrochloride (HCl) is indicated to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with hyperlipidemia and improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, its effects on glucose and lipids in patients with prediabetes have not been previously studied. To evaluate the effects of colesevelam HCl in patients with prediabetes, a post-hoc analysis was conducted on data from a 24-week lipid-lowering study. Using baseline laboratory safety data for fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 88 patients were identified as having prediabetes according to American Diabetes Association criteria. Fasting plasma glucose was reduced by 4.0 mg/dL with colesevelam HCl 3.8 g/day and by 6.1 mg/dL with colesevelam HCl 4.5 g/day compared with placebo. Additionally, LDL-C was reduced by 13.2% and 12.0% with colesevelam HCl 3.8 and 4.5 g/day, respectively, versus placebo. Colesevelam HCl 3.8 g/day also significantly reduced total cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo)B levels, whereas no significant difference in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apoA-I, or triglyceride levels was observed versus placebo. In patients with hyperlipidemia and prediabetes, colesevelam HCl improved glycemic control and the lipid profile.

The potential of cinnamon to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance

AIM

Cinnamon has a long history as an antidiabetic spice, but trials involving cinnamon supplementation have produced contrasting results. The aim of this review was to examine the results of randomized controlled clinical trials of cinnamon and evaluate the therapeutic potential amongst patients with diabetes and insulin-resistant patients, particularly the ability to reduce blood glucose levels and inhibit protein glycation.

METHODS

A systematic electronic literature search using the medical subject headings 'cinnamon' and 'blood glucose' was carried out to include randomized, placebo-controlled in vivo clinical trials using Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamomum cassia conducted between January 2003 and July 2008.

RESULTS

Five type 2 diabetic and three non-diabetic studies (total N = 311) were eligible. Two of the diabetic studies illustrated significant fasting blood glucose (FBG) reductions of 18-29% and 10.3% (p < 0.05), supported by one non-diabetic trial reporting an 8.4% FBG reduction (p < 0.01) vs. placebo, and another illustrating significant reductions in glucose response using oral glucose tolerance tests (p < 0.05). Three diabetic studies reported no significant results.

CONCLUSIONS

Whilst definitive conclusions cannot be drawn regarding the use of cinnamon as an antidiabetic therapy, it does possess antihyperglycaemic properties and potential to reduce postprandial blood glucose levels. Further research is required to confirm a possible correlation between baseline FBG and blood glucose reduction and to assess the potential to reduce pathogenic diabetic complications with cinnamon supplementation.

GHb level and subsequent mortality among adults in the U.S

OBJECTIVE To examine the association of hyperglycemia, as measured by GHb, with subsequent mortality in a nationally representative sample of adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We included adults aged > or =20 years who participated in Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) and had complete information, including baseline diabetes status by self-report and measured GHb (n = 19,025) and follow-up through the end of 2000 for mortality. RESULTS In the overall population, higher levels of GHb were associated with increased risk of mortality from all causes, heart disease, and cancer. After adjustment for potential risk factors, the relative hazard (RH) for adults with GHb > or =8% compared with adults with GHb <6% was 2.59 (95% CI 1.88-3.56) for all-cause mortality, 3.38 (1.98-5.77) for heart disease mortality, and 2.64 (1.17-5.97) for cancer mortality. Among adults with diagnosed diabetes, having GHb > or =8% compared with GHb <6% was associated with higher all-cause mortality (RH 1.68, 95% CI 1.03-2.74) and heart disease mortality (2.48, 1.09-5.64), but there was no increased risk of cancer mortality by GHb category. Among adults without diagnosed diabetes, there was no significant association of all-cause, heart disease, or cancer mortality and GHb category. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the importance of GHb levels in mortality risk among a nationally representative sample of adults with and without diagnosed diabetes and indicate that higher levels are associated with increased mortality in adults with diabetes.