A disturbed glucose metabolic state (dysglycaemia) is a key risk factor for cardiovascular events
Departments ofMedicine, and Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
* Dr H. C. Gerstein, Department of Medicine, Room 3V38,1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 3Z5, Canada.
Abstract
Diabetes is a well-established, independent risk factor for future cardiovascular events. A growing literature is now showing that cardiovascular risk is not restricted to glucose levels above the thresholds that differentiate diabetes from nondiabetes. Rather, the relationship between glucose and cardiovascular events extends from normal glucose levels right into the diabetic range. Indeed, cardiovascular risk is predicted by the degree of glucose elevation and not by the presence or absence of diabetes per se. Whether or not strategies that lower glucose will reduce the risk of cardiovascular events is now being tested in several large international clinical trials.
Key Words: Epidemiology risk factor cardiovascular event glucose dysglycaemia