Ageing and fasting glucose values – the role of cardiovascular events.

Fasting glucose values are closely related to insulin resistance and thus to the cardiovascular risk. The aim of our study was to analyze the behaviour of fasting glucose levels in a large cohort of middle-aged and elderly patients over a period of 15 years including the possible influence of cardiovascular events (CVEs). For this purpose 4061 patients (age 46.8 ± 19.0 years) regularly attending a medical outdoor center between 1995 and 2013 were assigned to a group of patients with a CVE at least once within this time period, and one without this diagnosis throughout. The groups were properly selected with respect to age, sex, physical activity, smoking and socioeconomic characteristics. Fasting glucose levels in patients without CVEs remained stable over 15 years and thus during ageing of the population. Patients with a CVE revealed significantly higher entries on fasting glucose values with a continuous increase throughout the whole observation period and a pronounced increase after the CVE. Our data seem to suggest, that fasting glucose levels are stable laboratory results in a patient-population without CVEs. For patients with an ageing related increase in fasting glucose values consequent primary and secondary risk factor intervention is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]