Cardiovascular Risk Factors Drive Impaired Fasting Glucose to Type 2 Diabetes: Findings After a 9-Year Follow-Up in the PURE Study in Poland

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the role of risk factors included in the Framingham Risk Score for hard coronary heart disease (CHD) in the development of type 2 diabetes (DM) in patients with impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) after a 9-year follow-up. The research was part of the Polish insight into the international Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. The cohort consisted of 283 subjects aged 54.3 ± 8.9 years who were diagnosed with IFG at baseline and then completed after a 9-year follow-up. The main risk factors for both CHD and DM evaluated were smoking, arterial hypertension, abnormal lipid profile, and family medical history. Most participants had both untreated or poorly controlled hypertension and dyslipidemia. Those who developed full-fledged DM over time were older and had significantly higher levels of fasting plasma glucose, lipid parameters, and mean blood pressure records. In conclusion, we confirmed that early diagnosis of dyslipidemia and hypertension, along with the treatment optimization of these conditions, could prevent or reduce the risk of DM and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The study highlighted a large-scale problem of the modifiable risk factors that could jeopardize the health status in patients with IFG in the long range and pointed to targeted preventive measures.