Abstract 3683: Gender Difference in the Impact of Fasting Serum Glucose Level on Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: Korea Medical Insurance Corporation Study

Abstract

Objective: Diabetic women have a greater relative risk of coronary heart disease than diabetic men. However, gender difference in the impact of blood glucose levels below diabetic range on risk of coronary heart disease is unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the association between nondiabetic blood glucose levels and the incident risk of coronary heart disease is different in men and women. Methods: We measured fasting serum glucose levels and other cardiovascular risk factors in 172,580 Koreans (108,461 men and 64,119 women), aged 35–59 years in 1990 and 1992. Our primary outcomes were hospital admissions and deaths from coronary heart disease in 11 year follow-up from 1993 to 2003. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios for coronary heart disease according to the baseline fasting serum glucose levels, after adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol level, and cigarette smoking. Results: During the 11 years, 3,769 coronary heart disease events occurred. Risk of coronary heart disease in men was significantly increased at fasting serum glucose levels of diabetic range (≥ 126 mg/dL), although risk of coronary heart disease in women was significantly increased from impaired fasting glucose levels ≥ 110 mg/dL. In fasting serum glucose levels ≥ 110 mg/dL, the hazard ratios for coronary heart disease incidence were higher in women than in men compared with women and men with fasting glucose levels <80mg/dL, respectively. There was no association between impaired fasting glucose from 100 to 109 mg/dL and risk of coronary heart disease neither in men nor in women. Conclusions: The stronger impact of fasting serum glucose levels on relative risk of coronary heart disease in women compared with in men was significant from impaired fasting glucose levels ≥ 110 mg/dL. Adjusted Hazard Ratios (HRs) for Coronary Heart Disease by Fasting Serum Glucose Levels