Pre-Diabetic Changes Double Heart Disease Risk

"This is an updated, well-done version of studies that have been done previously, which demonstrate that diabetes and pre-diabetes are strong contributors to cardiovascular disease in our society," said Dr. John Buse, president-elect for medicine and science of the American Diabetes Association and chief of the division of endocrinology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill. "We need to redouble our efforts to take care of cardiovascular risk factors and increase physical activity and appropriate eating in these populations."

Dehmer agreed. "We have known for quite some time that diabetes is a very important and potent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This study confirms that finding," he said. "What is new in this study is that individuals with impaired fasting glucose or those that have impaired glucose tolerance, so-called pre-diabetes, are also at increased cardiovascular risk, and it's up by approximately 50 to 60 percent compared to the control population. That is a new observation."

"It's a really important wake-up call," added Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital. "Now you don't even need to have diabetes, you can have pre-diabetes and be equally at risk for cardiovascular disease."

Although increased attention to prevention seems to be called for, it's unclear how, or even if, people with pre-diabetes should be treated.

"The study was not designed to look at treatment," Dehmer pointed out. "We don't know, at least based on this study, that their cardiovascular risk will go back down to that of a group that does not have diabetes."

More information

The American Diabetes Association has more on pre-diabetes and diabetes.

SOURCES: Gregory Dehmer, M.D., professor, internal medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and director, cardiology division, Scott & White Hospital, Temple, Texas; John B. Buse, M.D., Ph.D., president-elect for medicine and science, American Diabetes Association and chief, division of endocrinology, department of medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill; Suzanne Steinbaum, M.D., director of women and heart disease, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; June 19, 2007,Circulation