Prediabetes Linked to Heart Attack

Prediabetes is not only a precursor of diabetes, but it is also a risk factor by itself for myocardial infarction (MI).   A myocardial infarction (commonly called a heart attack) is an extremely dangerous condition caused by a lack of blood flow to your heart. For this reason, clinicians need to focus on the fact that treating prediabetes is also addressing cardiac disease as well as diabetes.

Prediabetes was associated not only with a statistically significant 16% increase in coronary heart disease, but also a 13% increased risk of all-cause mortality relative to those with the presence of a normal concentration of glucose in the blood.  

This study reviewed 1,794,149 patient hospitalizations for a heart attack from the National Inpatient Sample database.  After adjustments for risk factors such as obesity, history of MI, dyslipidemia, hypertension and nicotine dependence- prediabetes remained an independent risk factor, with a 25% increased risk of myocardial infarction.

Although this study was of hospitalized patients, a focus needs to be placed in community health for the risk of heart attack posed from prediabetes.

Source: Clinical Endocrinology News: Vol 17, No. 7, July 2022