Open AccessAssociation between HbA1c and carotid atherosclerosis among elderly Koreans with normal fasting glucose
Author(s) -
Seungwon Lee,
Hyeon Chang Kim,
Yong-Ho Lee,
Bo Song,
Hansol Choi,
Ji Hye Park,
Yumie Rhee,
Chang Oh Kim
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0171761
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetes mellitus , blood pressure , intima media thickness , body mass index , carotid ultrasonography , population , triglyceride , endocrinology , type 2 diabetes mellitus , insulin , korean population , cardiology , cholesterol , carotid arteries , environmental health
Aim We examined whether glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is associated to carotid atherosclerosis in an elderly Korean population with normal fasting glucose. Methods Using data from the Korean Urban Rural Elderly study, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1,133 participants (335 men and 798 women) with a mean age of 71.8 years. All participants had fasting blood glucose less than 100mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) and HbA1c level below 6.5% (48 mmol/mol). They were also free from a history of cardiovascular disease, known type 2 diabetes mellitus or use of anti-diabetes medications. Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed by intima-media thickness (IMT) using ultrasonography. The association between HbA1c and carotid IMT was investigated using multivariable linear regression analysis. Results HbA1c levels were independently and positively associated with carotid IMT ( β = 0.020, p = 0.045) after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, smoking and alcohol intake. However, fasting insulin and glucose levels were not associated with carotid IMT. Conclusion HbA1c levels were positively associated with carotid atherosclerosis, as assessed by carotid IMT, in an elderly population with normoglycemia. Our study suggested that higher HbA1c level is an effective and informative marker of carotid atherosclerosis in an elderly population.