title: Relationship between hemoglobin A1c and cardiovascular disease in mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemic Japanese individuals: subanalysis of a large-scale randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the ADA/EASD/IDF International Expert Committee recommends using hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) to define diabetes, the relation between HbA1c and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has not been thoroughly investigated. We analyzed this relation using clinical data on Japanese individuals with hypercholesterolemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the large-scale MEGA Study 7832 patients aged 40 to 70 years old with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia without CVD were randomized to diet alone or diet plus pravastatin and followed for >5 years. In the present subanalysis of that study a total of 4002 patients with baseline and follow-up HbA1c data were stratified according to having an average HbA1c during the first year of follow-up <6.0%, 6.0%-<6.5%, or ≥ 6.5% and their subsequent 5-year incidence rates of CVD compared according to sex, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and treatment arm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, risk of CVD was significantly 2.4 times higher in individuals with HbA1c ≥ 6.5% versus <6.0%. A similar relation was noted in men and women (hazard ratio [HR], 2.1; p <0.01 and HR, 3.0; p <0.01, respectively) and was regardless of treatment arm (diet alone group: HR, 2.2; p <0.001; diet plus pravastatin group: HR, 1.8; p = 0.02). Spline curves showed a continuous risk increase according to HbA1c level in all subpopulations studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In hypercholesterolemic individuals the risk of CVD increases linearly with HbA1c level. This significant contribution by elevated HbA1c to increased CVD is independent of pravastatin therapy, and thus requires appropriate HbA1c management in addition to lipids reduction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. rimei@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Rimei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tajima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D004035:Diet Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008055:Lipids; D017035:Pravastatin