Adverse differences in cardiometabolic risk factor levels between individuals with pre-diabetes and normal glucose metabolism are more pronounced in women than in men: the Maastricht Study

• Published in: BMJ open diabetes research & care 2019-11, Vol.7 (1), p.e000787-e000787
• Main Authors: de Ritter, Rianneke, Sep, Simone J S, van der Kallen, Carla J H, Schram, Miranda T, Koster, Annemarie, Kroon, Abraham A, van Greevenbroek, Marleen M J, Eussen, Simone J P M, Dagnelie, Pieter C, de Jong, Marit, Vos, Rimke C, Woodward, Mark, Bots, Michiel L, Peters, Sanne A E, Stehouwer, Coen D A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohol; Biomarkers - blood; Blood Glucose - analysis; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular and Metabolic Risk; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - blood; Cardiovascular Diseases - diagnosis; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; cardiovascular risk factors; Case-Control Studies; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Fasting; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gender differences; Glucose; Glycated Hemoglobin A - analysis; Health risk assessment; Humans; Inflammation; Insulin; Life Style; Lifestyles; Male; Mens health; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Population; pre-diabetes; Prediabetic State - blood; Prediabetic State - complications; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; sex difference; Sex Factors; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - blood; women's health; Womens health
• ISSN: 2052-4897; 2052-4897
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2019-000787

ObjectiveTo investigate whether adverse differences in levels of cardiovascular risk factors in women than men, already established when comparing individuals with and without diabetes, are also present before type 2 diabetes onset.Research design and methodsIn a population-based cohort study of individuals aged 40-75 years (n=3410; 49% women, 29% type 2 diabetes (oversampled by design)), we estimated associations with cardiometabolic and lifestyle risk factors of (1) pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes (reference category: normal glucose metabolism) and (2) among non-diabetic individuals, of continuous levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Age-adjusted sex differences were analyzed using linear and logistic regression models with sex interaction terms.ResultsIn pre-diabetes, adverse differences in cardiometabolic risk factors were greater in women than men for systolic blood pressure (difference, 3.02 mm Hg; 95% CI:−0.26 to 6.30), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (difference, −0.10 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.18 to −0.02), total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio (difference, 0.22; 95% CI: −0.01 to 0.44), triglycerides (ratio: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.22), and inflammation markers Z-score (ratio: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.41). In type 2 diabetes, these sex differences were similar in direction, and of greater magnitude. Additionally, HbA1c among non-diabetic individuals was more strongly associated with several cardiometabolic risk factors in women than men: per one per cent point increase, systolic blood pressure (difference, 3.58 mm Hg; 95% CI: −0.03 to 7.19), diastolic blood pressure (difference, 2.10 mm Hg; 95% CI: −0.02 to 4.23), HDL cholesterol (difference, −0.09 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.19 to 0.00), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (difference, 0.26 mmol/L; 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.47). With regard to lifestyle risk factors, no consistent pattern was observed.ConclusionOur results are consistent with the concept that the more adverse changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in women (than men) arise as a continuous process before the onset of type 2 diabetes.