A new study found that blood sugar levels above 7% led to a significant increase in the risk of having another stroke or heart attack.
People with diabetes, who have experienced a stroke, have a lower risk of developing vascular diseases such as heart attacks or another stroke if they keep their blood sugar levels within a specific range. These were the key findings of a new study, published this week in the journal Neurology.
“We know that having diabetes may be associated with an increased risk of having a first stroke,” said study author Moon-Ku Han, MD, PhD, of Seoul National University College of Medicine in Korea, in a press release.
“But our results indicate that there is an optimal blood sugar level that may start to minimize the risk of having another stroke, a heart attack or other vascular problems, and it’s right in the 6.8% to 7.0% range,” he added.
About the study
Researchers worked with 18,567 people with diabetes with an average age of 70, who had been admitted to the hospital due to an ischemic stroke. At the time of admission, researchers performed a haemoglobin A1C test, to determine people’s average blood sugar level over the past two to three months. This test measures the percentage of haemoglobin proteins in the blood that are coated with sugar. A measurement below 5.7% is considered normal, whereas 6.5% or higher generally indicates diabetes. Participants of this study had an average A1C level of 7.5%.
A year later, researchers followed up on these patients, to establish any associations between A1C levels and the risk of having another stroke, a heart attack, or dying.
Their key finding was that 437, or about 8% of total participants, had a heart attack or died from a vascular disease within a year of starting the study, and 954, or 5%, experienced another stroke. Furthermore, the study found that people admitted to the hospital with A1C levels above 7% had an increased risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
After adjusting for confounding factors, like age or sex, researchers found that having A1C levels above 7% accounted for a 27% higher risk of a heart attack or other vascular disease, compared with lower A1C levels. Researchers also found that the risk for having another stroke was 28% greater for people admitted to the hospital with A1C levels above 7.0%, compared to those with A1C levels below 6.5%.
“Our findings highlight the importance of keeping a close eye on your blood sugar if you’re diabetic and have had a stroke,” Dr Han said.