"Even One Criterion of Prediabetes Increases Risk of Coronary Artery Calcification↑"

[Asia Economy Reporter Youngwon Kim] A study has found that even if only one of either fasting blood glucose or glycated hemoglobin meets the criteria for prediabetes, the risk of coronary artery calcification progression increases.

Professor Inyoung Choi of the Seoul Health Screening Center at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, along with Professors Seungho Ryu and Yusu Jang from the Data Management Center, announced on the 13th the results of an analysis of coronary artery calcification risk based on fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin in 41,100 adult men and women who underwent health screenings including coronary artery calcification CT scans at least twice between 2011 and 2019.

Prediabetes refers to a state where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. It is defined by meeting one of the following three criteria: impaired fasting glucose (fasting blood glucose 100?125 mg/dL), glycated hemoglobin 5.7?6.4%, or impaired glucose tolerance (blood glucose 140?199 mg/dL after glucose tolerance test).

The research team divided participants who met the prediabetes criteria into groups based on their fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels: ▲ those meeting only the fasting blood glucose criterion (fasting blood glucose 100?125 mg/dL), ▲ those meeting only the glycated hemoglobin criterion (5.7?6.4%), and ▲ those meeting both criteria, and compared them with a normal group.

As a result, the risk of coronary artery calcification progression was highest in the group with both elevated fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin, but even groups with only one elevated marker showed higher risk compared to the normal group. The progression rates of coronary artery calcification increased by 3.1%, 2.5%, and 5.4% respectively in the groups meeting only the fasting blood glucose prediabetes criterion, only the glycated hemoglobin prediabetes criterion, and both criteria, compared to the normal group.

Professor Choi explained, "In many health screenings in Korea, fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin tests are usually conducted together, but there are often cases where the two results do not match, for example, when fasting blood glucose is at the prediabetes level but glycated hemoglobin is normal." She added, "This study is significant as a large-scale cohort study that clarifies how the risk of coronary artery calcification differs in such cases."

She continued, "While it is well known that diabetes affects coronary artery disease, little is known about the prediabetes stage, so the risk and management of vascular disease tend to be overlooked. This study suggests that even when only one criterion such as fasting blood glucose is met in the prediabetes stage, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits through a healthy diet and regular exercise is necessary to prevent the progression of diabetes and arteriosclerosis."

Meanwhile, this study was published in the recent issue of the international journal 'Diabetes Obesity & Metabolism.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.