Cardiovascular Risk Markers Found in Patients with Impaired Fasting Glucose

Markers of cardiovascular risk were increased in patients with impaired fasting glucose.

A group of investigators led by Dr Erkan Coban of Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey, compared concentrations of plasma fibrinogen and D-dimer in patients with impaired fasting glucose with those in patients with type 2 diabetes and in healthy controls. Ninety patients, including 30 with impaired fasting glucose (110-125mg/dL), 30 with type 2 diabetes (fasting glucose >125mg/dL), and 30 healthy controls, were matched according to age, sex, and body-mass index.

The investigators found that patients with impaired fasting glucose had significantly lower concentrations of plasma fibrinogen than patients with type 2 diabetes (348mg/dL vs 449mg/dL; p<0.05) and significantly higher concentrations than healthy controls (348mg/dL vs 216mg/dL; p<0.05). Patients with impaired fasting glucose also had significantly lower concentrations of plasma D-dimer than patients with type 2 diabetes (518mg/L vs 615mg/L; p<0.05) and significantly higher concentrations than healthy controls (518mg/L vs 424mg/L; p<0.05). Both markers correlated with fasting glucose concentrations in the group with impaired fasting glucose and in the group with type 2 diabetes. Age correlated positively with the concentration of plasma fibrinogen in all study groups (p<0.05).

The investigators concluded that markers of cardiovascular risk were increased in patients with impaired fasting glucose, although not to the same extent as in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes 2005;113:35-7

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FACT:
Given that approximately 4.2 million self-monitoring glucose test strips are used each day in the United States, users reported very few problems directly to FDA.