Relationship of glucose tolerance to prevalence of ECG abnormalities and to annual mortality from cardiovascular disease: Results of the Paris Prospective Study

Abstract

The relationship of glucose tolerance measured by plasma glucose level 2 hr after a 75-g glucose oral load to prevalence of ECG abnormalities and mortality from ischemie heart disease is investigated in the Paris Prospective Study. This paper deals with findings in 6589 men working in the Paris Civil Service aged 42–53, non-diabetic and not treated for hypertension. The ECG recording took place at entry in the study and was coded according to the Minnesota Code. Data on glucose level and other variables were collected at the first follow-up examination, 1 yr later. The prevalence of definite Q wave, of ECG abnormalities according to the criteria of the Whitehall Study and of the U.S. Pooling Project did not show any consistent trend among deciles of glucose. These abnormalities were not significantly associated with glucose level in the multiple logistic analysis taking into account age, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and cigarette consumption. Mean annual mortality rates (all causes, cardiovascular and ischemie heart disease) were computed in the population followed for an average of 5 yr, after exclusion of 105 men with definite Q wave at entry. While a possible U-shaped relationship between glucose and mortality might be suggested from quintile analysis, the multivariate analysis did not show any significant independent association between glucose level and mortality from cardiovascular or ischemie heart disease causes.