Association between hemoglobin A1c, carotid atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness, and peripheral arterial disease in Korean type 2 diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), carotid atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in Korean type 2 diabetic patients.


METHODS
A total of 370 type 2 diabetic patients registered with the public health center in Gokseng-gun, Korea, participated in this study. Following an overnight fast, venous blood was collected and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), amount of carotid plaque, brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and ankle-brachial index (ABI) of each patient were also assessed.


RESULTS
For categorical variables, we performed logistic regression after adjustment for other CVD risk factors. There was a significant association between HbA(1c) and carotid plaque [OR 2.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 to 5.67 for the highest vs. the lowest tertile of HbA(1c)], and PAD (OR 3.75, 95% CI 1.30 to 10.81). For continuous variables, we performed analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) after adjustment for other covariates. The mean values of common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) and baPWV were not significantly different according to the HbA(1c) tertiles.


CONCLUSIONS
HbA(1c) was significantly associated with carotid plaque and PAD, but not CCA-IMT and baPWV in Korean type 2 diabetic patients.
Choi
Seong-Woo
SW
Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-746, Republic of Korea.
Shin
Min-Ho
MH
Yun
Woo-Jun
WJ
Kim
Hey-Yeon
HY
Lee
Young-Hoon
YH
Kweon
Sun-Seog
SS
Rhee
Jung-Ae
JA
Choi
Jin-Su
JS
D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin