Longer the duration of diabetes, higher is risk of heart failure

The data needs to be more transparent on the interplay between the duration of diabetes and the risk of heart failure.

A team of researchers investigated this association in a study of 23 754 individuals who had a history of diabetes without Heart Failure (HF) during the baseline recruitment of UK Biobank. Duration of diabetes was self-reported, and HbA1c levels reflected glycemic control.

The study results include the following:

• There was a positive association between diabetes duration and HbA1c levels with heart failure risk.
• The hazard ratios for diabetes durations of 5 to less than 10, 10 to less than 15, and 15 years or more were 1.09, 1.13 and 1.32, respectively, with HR for HbA1c of 53.0 to less than 58.5 mmol/mol, 58.5 to less than 63.9 mmol/mol and 63.9 mmol/mol or greater were 1.15, 1.07 and 1.46 respectively.
• Those with the most prolonged disease duration of more than or equal to 15 years and poorer glycemic control had a significantly higher risk of Heart failure.

The conclusion states that those with a longer duration of diabetes and increasing HbA1c levels have a higher risk of heart failure.

This is an important finding leading to the possible prevention of heart failure in diabetic patients with consideration in clinical practices and policy-making.

Further reading:

Huan-Huan Yang et al. Duration of Diabetes, Glycemic Control, and Risk of Heart Failure Among Adults With Diabetes: A Cohort Study, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2022; dgac642, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgac642