Vascular complications and associated comorbidities in newly diagnosed pre-diabetes: is it the tip of the iceberg?

S. Genç, B. Evren, C. Çankaya, M. Tecellioğlu, A. Bozbay, A.Ö. Yavuz, K.N. Aykaç, I.S. Şahin, H. Eren, B. Yildiz, E. Önalan, B. Yakar, İ. Şahin

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Inonu University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey. eonalan@firat.edu.tr

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• Diabetes
• Endocrinology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of microvascular and macrovascular diabetic complications and the associated comorbidities in newly diagnosed pre-diabetic individuals.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study includes 100 newly diagnosed pre-diabetic individuals. Fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) were tested according to the American Diabetes Association’s diagnostic criteria for pre-diabetes, besides anthropometric measurements, lipid profiles, and demographic and biochemical parameters. Comorbidities like hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia etc., were evaluated. All participants were screened for microvascular (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy) and macrovascular [coronary artery disease (CAD) and cerebrovascular event-peripheral artery disease] complications.

RESULTS: Microvascular complications were found in 12% of the participants (neuropathy: 4%, nephropathy: 8%) and 19% had macrovascular complications. Of the participants, 21% of the cases presented hypertension, 21% dyslipidemia and 48% obesity. A high probability of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-related fibrosis [estimated using non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS)] was found in 68% of cases. History of dyslipidemia (OR: 5.00, 95% CI: 1.10-22.56; p=0.037) was an independent risk factor for the development of vascular complications.

CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic vascular complications were found in approximately one-third of pre-diabetic cases. Dyslipidaemia was found to be an important risk factor for the development of vascular complications in these individuals.

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