Prediabetes confers elevated risk for major adverse CV events
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Adults with prediabetes were more likely to have an MI and other CV events compared with those who had normal blood glucose levels, according to a presentation at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.
“In general, we tend to treat prediabetes as no big deal. But we found that prediabetes itself can significantly boost someone’s chance of having a major cardiovascular event, even if they never progress to having diabetes. Instead of preventing diabetes, we need to shift focus and prevent prediabetes,” Adrian Michel, MD, internal medicine resident at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, said in a press release.
Researchers retrospectively analyzed 25,829 patients aged 18 to 104 years from the Beaumont Health System from 2006 to 2020 who had prediabetes or normal HbA1c levels.
The researchers found that the incidence of major adverse CV events, defined as cerebrovascular accident, MI, unstable angina or ACS, in the prediabetes group (17.97%; 95% CI, 17.3-18.63) was considerably higher than the incidence in the control group (11.01%; 95% CI, 10.48-11.55; P < .0001)
According to the researchers, the study findings show the importance of knowing blood glucose numbers, particularly because patients with prediabetes are usually asymptomatic.
“Based on our data, having prediabetes nearly doubled the chance of a major adverse cardiovascular event, which accounts for one out of four deaths in the U.S.,” Michel said in the release. “As clinicians, we need to spend more time educating our patients about the risk of elevated blood sugar levels and what it means for their heart health and consider starting medication much earlier or more aggressively, and advising on risk factor modification, including advice on exercise and adopting a healthy diet.”
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Michel A, et al. Prevention and health promotion: Diabetes and cardiometabolic disease 2. Presented at: American College of Cardiology Scientific Session; May 15-17, 2021 (virtual meeting).
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