Achieving Target BP, HbA1c, and LDL Levels Reduces Heart Disease Risk

Patients with diabetes who achieve target levels of blood pressure (BP), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) have a significantly lower risk of heart disease, according to a new study.

It is important for patients with diabetes to control their BP, LDL cholesterol, and HbA1c levels, because increased levels can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the effects of achieving multifactorial risk factor control are not well documented.
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To conduct their study, researchers followed 2018 adults aged 28 to 86 years who had diabetes and no known CVD in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and the Jackson Heart Study.

Researchers tracked CHD and CVD events in individuals who achieved target levels over a mean period of 11 years.

After analyzing the data, researchers found that:

  • 42% of individuals with diabetes achieved target BP levels, which lowered their risk of CVD risk by 17% and CHD by 17%.
  • 32% of individuals achieved target LDL cholesterol levels, which lowered their risk of CVD by 33% and CHD by 41%.
  • 42% achieved target HbA1c levels, which lowered their risk of CVD by 37% and CHD by 36%.

Unfortunately, only about 7% of individuals achieved target levels of all 3 risk factors, which was associated with a reduction in risk of CVD by 62% and CHD by 60%.

“Optimal levels of BP, LDL cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin occurring together in individuals with diabetes mellitus are uncommon but are associated with substantially lower risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease,” the researchers concluded.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Wong ND, Zhao Y, Patel R, et al. Cardiovascular risk factor targets and cardiovascular disease event risk in diabetes, a pooling project of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and Jackson Heart Study [published online March 29, 2016]. Diabetes Care. doi:10.2337/dc15-2439.