Higher A1c levels tied to aortic stenosis progression: Study

South Korea: Higher A1c levels in patients with mild or moderate aortic stenosis (AS) are significantly associated with a faster rate of AS progression, a recent study has revealed. The study, published in Research Square as a preprint, imply that more intensive glycemic control might be beneficial for preventing AS progression in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and mild to moderate AS. 

Diabetes presence is considered a well-estabkished risk factor for degenerative AS progression. However, no study has examined the impact of blood sugar control on AS progression rate. Considering this, In-Chang Hwang, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, South Korea, and colleagues aimed to assess the association between degree of glycemic control and AS progression using an electronic health record-based common data model (CDM). 

For the purpose, the researchers identified 1420 patients with mild to moderate AS (defined as an aortic valve [AV] maximal velocity [Vpeak] of 2.0–4.0 m/sec) at baseline, and follow-up echocardiography performed at an interval of ≥6 months. The participants were divided into three groups: no DM (n=1037), well-controlled DM (mean glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] <7.0% during the study period; n=186), and poorly controlled DM (mean HbA1c ≥7.0% during the study period; n=143).