RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FASTING PLASMA-GLUCOSE, ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK-FACTORS AND CAROTID INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS IN NONDIABETIC INDIVIDUALS

We analysed the relationship between fasting plasma glucose, carotid i ntima media thickness and some atherosclerosis risk factors in 307 non -diabetic individuals. Male (n = 120) and female subjects (n = 187) wi th a familial history of Type II diabetes mellitus and/or obesity and hyperlipoproteinaemia were examined in the age group 40-70 years. Plas ma triglycerides, total and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, plas minogen activator inhibitor were measured by conventional methods. Spe cific insulin: proinsulin and C-peptide were measured by specific enzy me immunoassay. Intima media thickness increased in quintiles for fast ing plasma glucose in men, but not in women. There was a rise of trigl ycerides, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, plasminogen activator i nhibitor, true insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide and a decrease of high-d ensity-lipoprotein cholesterol in quintiles for fasting plasma glucose . Fasting plasma glucose was found to be significantly positively corr elated to intima media thickness, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, haemoglobin A(1c) insulin, C-peptide, triglycerides, plasminogen acti vator inhibitor and significantly negatively correlated to high densit y lipoprotein cholesterol. However, the correlation of fasting plasma glucose to intima media thickness was no longer significant after adju stment for age and sex. After adjustment for age and sex intima media thickness was significantly correlated to body mass index, total chole sterol, triglycerides, albuminuria and inversely correlated to high-de nsity-lipoprotein cholesterol. In multivariate analysis age, male sex, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol were signi ficant determinants of intima media thickness. Our data suggest that a weak association exists between fasting plasma glucose and intima med ia thickness, which may be mediated by a clustering of risk factors in the upper range of non-diabetic fasting plasma glucose level with a c entral role for dyslipidaemia.