New evidence from a population-based study carried out in Iceland casts doubt on previous suggestions that high blood sugar levels are linked with coronary heart disease risk in otherwise healthy people. Although there is strong evidence that blood sugar control is important amongst diabetics, both to reduce the risk of heart disease as well as to prevent other complications, there is greater uncertainty regarding the relationship for non-diabetic people. In this study, the researchers investigated a cohort of 18,569 people who did not have a history of diabetes, and were then monitored for an average of 23 years for heart disease outcomes. Although there was a small increase in risk of heart disease linked with higher blood sugar levels, the changes were not substantial. The researchers also confirmed their findings in a systematic review of the existing literature.
Funding: This study was supported by a programme grant from the British Heart Foundation (to JD and VG), by the Raymond and Beverley Sackler Research Award in the Medical Sciences (to JD) and by an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKine (to JD). Aspects of the study were supported by a specific grant from Pfizer (to JD). SRKS is supported by a Gates Cambridge Trust Scholarship, the Overseas Research Studentship Award Scheme, and an Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust Clinical Research Fellowship. RG is supported by a Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Award. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing Interests: JD has received research funding from the British Heart Foundation, BUPA Foundation, Denka, diaDexus, European Union, Evelyn Trust, GlaxoSmith Kline, MRC, Merck, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Wellcome Trust and UK Biobank. John Danesh is on the Editorial Board of PLoS Medicine ( http://www.plos.org/about/board.php ).
Citation:Sarwar N, Aspelund T, Eiriksdottir G, Gobin R, Seshasai SRK, et al. (2010) Markers of Dysglycaemia and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in People without Diabetes: Reykjavik Prospective Study and Systematic Review. PLoS Med 7(5): e1000278. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000278
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