DYSGLYCAEMIA - A CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTOR

Patients with diabetes have a 2-fold higher risk of developing cardiov ascular disease than non-diabetic individuals. Moreover, recent epidem iologic studies have shown that this risk rises with the degree of hyp erglycaemia, so that diabetic patients with poorly controlled glucose levels have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those with we ll-controlled glucose levels. Thus, in patients with diabetes, glucose level appears to be a continuous risk factor for cardiovascular disea se. Several epidemiologic studies also suggest that this relationship is not confined to the diabetic range; non-diabetic levels of fasting and postprandial hyperglycaemia, that may even be lower than those ass ociated with impaired glucose tolerance, are also associated with an i ncreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Evidence is therefore accumul ating that dysglycaemia (i.e. raised glucose levels above some low, as yet undefined, threshold) is a continuous risk factor for cardiovascu lar disease. This relationship is similar to that of smoking, blood pr essure and dyslipidaemia to cardiovascular risk. Whether glucose lower ing in diabetic or non-diabetic individuals will prevent cardiovascula r disease remains to be determined. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.