Having prediabetes is linked to a significantly higher risk for having a heart attack in adults under age 45, according to a new study presented at the 2022 American Heart Association Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions, and described in an article at Healio.
Cardiovascular disease its a well-established complication of diabetes, and most people with diabetes die of cardiovascular causes. But the link between prediabetes — elevated blood glucose levels than don’t meet the threshold for diabetes — and poor cardiovascular outcomes hasn’t been the subject of nearly as many studies. There is some evidence, though, that taking metformin may help improve heart health in people with prediabetes — even though taking metformin isn’t nearly as standard for people with prediabetes as it is for people with diabetes. There is also evidence that prediabetes may have harmful effects on mental and cognitive health, which may be related to its effects on cardiovascular health. People with prediabetes are at higher risk for major depression, and are more likely to experience cognitive decline at any age or body weight.
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For the latest study, researchers looked at data from 2018 from what’s known as the National Inpatient Sample, covering young adults ages 18 to 44 who were hospitalized for any reason in the United States. People with diabetes were excluded from the study, leaving only those with prediabetes and those with normal blood glucose levels. Overall, the proportion of participants with prediabetes was only 0.4%.
Higher heart attack risk found in young adults with prediabetes
After adjusting for factors known to affect the risk for a heart attack — such as having health conditions other than prediabetes, as well as demographic factors like age and sex — the researchers found that young adults with prediabetes were 71% more likely to be hospitalized with a heart attack, but no more likely than those without prediabetes to be hospitalized for any other major cardiovascular or cerebrovascular event (such as a stroke or pulmonary embolism). This higher risk for a heart attack often led to people being transferred to a short-term care facility after being discharged form the hospital, indicating a major life disruption for these young adults.
Out of all hospitalization included in the study for adults ages 18 to 44, 2.15% were for a heart attack in adults with prediabetes, compared with only 0.3% in adults without prediabetes. Among all adults in this age group who had a heart attack, those with prediabetes were more likely to be men (78.5%, compared with 72.8% of those without prediabetes), Black (26.7% versus 21%), Hispanic (18.3% versus 11.5%), or Asian or Pacific Islander (6.9% versus 3.1%). Those with prediabetes were also more likely to fall in the top half of income status (19.1% versus 15.8%) and to be hospitalized at an urban academic medical center (81.5% versus 72.2%) than those without prediabetes.
The researchers noted that there isn’t much good data available on heart attacks in young adults in general, let alone when it comes to those with prediabetes. But this study represents a step toward understanding how having prediabetes affects a younger person’s heart attack risk — and indicates that getting regular health screenings to look for signs of cardiovascular disease may be particularly important for younger adults with prediabetes.
Want to learn more about prediabetes? Read “What Is Prediabetes? Symptoms, Treatment, and More,” “Prediabetes Treatment” and “Diabetes Prevention: Eat to Beat 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.”
