Association between HbA1c and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with type 2 diabetes: The EDUGUTION/APETEX project.

Resumen

Introduction: Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is a crucial biomarker used for assessing long-term serum glucose and evaluating the risk of complications in diabetes patients. Recent studies have found that HbA1c levels in diabetic patients are associated with variousparameters of cardiovascular events. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the relationship between HbA1c and different cardiovascular risk factors in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: In this preliminary analysis of the EDUGUTION and APETEXprojects, a total of 71 adults (45 men; 55.90±7.28 years) with T2D from the province of Cadiz (Spain) were analysed in this cross-sectional design. On fasting condition, anthropometric variables (waist circumference, weight, and height), body mass index, blood parameters (HbA1c, vitamin D, C-reactive protein, cholesterol, HDL, and LDL), and blood pressure were measured. Bivariate correlations and a linear regression model were applied to study the association between HbA1c and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: The results of linear regression model indicated a significant association between HbA1c levels and cardiovascular risk factors, including HDL cholesterol (β=−0.244; R2 = 0.059; p=0.041) and blood pressure (β=−0.303; R2= 0.092; p=0.010). Moreover, positive correlations were reported between HbA1c levels and C-reactive protein (r=0.204; p=0.044), Vitamin D (r=-0.173; p=0.075), and waist circumference (r=0.181; p=0.050). No significant associations were observed between HbA1c levels and the rest of outcomes. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that higher HbA1c levels are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in adults with T2D, highlighting the importance of monitoring HbA1c levels in these patients and managing cardiovascular risk factors to reduce the risk of complications. Further studies with experimental design are encouraged to test the impact of physical exercise and diet on these outcomes in T2D.