Among people with aortic stenosis — a form of heart valve disease in which the aortic valve narrows, and doesn’t open fully as a result — having diabetes and a higher A1C level (a measure of long-term blood glucose control) is linked to greater progression of aortic stenosis, according to a new article published in the journal BMC Endocrine Disorders.
In people with aortic stenosis, blood flow from the heart to the main artery leading to the rest of your body — the aorta — is often reduced or even blocked. That means your body may not get enough blood to carry out its functions optimally. Aortic stenosis can range from mild to severe, and mild forms of the disease may not cause any noticeable symptoms. But it’s important to identify the ideas as early as possible, so that your condition may be monitored or treated as necessary. Signs and symptoms of more advanced aortic stenosis may include a heart murmur when listening with a stethoscope, chest pain (angina) with physical exertion, feeling faint or short of breath with exertion or activity, or fatigue. If your condition requires treatment, you’ll probably undergo surgery or another invasive procedure to help repair the aortic valve or make it work better.
To get cutting-edge diabetes news, strategies for blood glucose management, nutrition tips, healthy recipes, and more delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletters!
For the latest study, researchers looked at data from 1,420 people with mild to moderate aortic stenosis at the time of study enrollment. Participants had their condition evaluated at the time of enrollment using echocardiography (imaging using sound waves), and then had several rounds of follow-up imaging at intervals of six months or longer. At the end of the study, participants were divided into three different groups — those without diabetes, those with well-controlled diabetes (average A1C below 7.0% during the study period), and those with poorly controlled diabetes (average A1C of 7.0% or higher). The median total follow-up period was 18.4 months.
Higher average A1C linked to increased risk of faster aortic stenosis progression
The researchers found that during the follow-up period, there was an overall gradual increase in the severity of aortic stenosis among study participants. But this disease progression didn’t occur at the same rate in the three different A1C groups. In fact, it was proportionally linked to participants’ average A1C levels — 1% increase in A1C was linked to a 27% higher risk for faster progression of aortic stenosis. That translated to a 52% higher risk for accelerated progression of aortic stenosis among participants with an A1C level of 7.0% or higher, compared with participants with a lower A1C level. The link between higher average A1C and an increased risk for faster progression of aortic stenosis was seen regardless of how severe participants’ aortic stenosis was at the beginning of the study.
“In patients with mild to moderate [aortic stenosis], the degree of glycemic control was significantly associated with [aortic stenosis] progression,” the researchers concluded. “More intensive glycemic control might be beneficial for the prevention of [aortic stenosis] progression in patients with [diabetes].”
Want to learn more about protecting your heart? Read “Be Heart Smart: Know Your Numbers,” “Does Diabetes Hurt Your Heart?” “Fight Off Heart Disease With These Five Heart-Healthy Foods” and “Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease.”
