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The Limits of Intensive Glucose Lowering in T2D

Diabetes Care; ePub 2017 Dec 5; Koska, Saremi, et al

Lower levels of methionine sulfoxide (MetSO) and higher levels of select advanced glycation end products (AGE) are linked with increased cardiovascular disease, according to a study involving >700 individuals. Participants included a subcohort of the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial (VADT; n=445) and a nested case-control subgroup from the ACCORD study (n=271). Investigators measured 5 AGEs and 2 oxidation products (OPs) at baseline of each trial. Among the results:

  • Increased levels of several AGEs and OPs were linked with older age, decreased kidney function, previous CVD, and longer diabetes duration.
  • In VADT, increased risk of CVD events was linked with lower MetSO after adjusting for certain confounders.
  • Also, patients with both low MetSO and high 3-deoxyglucosone hydroimidazolone concentrations were at highest risk for CVD.
  • In ACCORD, patients with CVD events had lower MetSO even after adjusting for those events.

The authors noted that their findings may help explain the limits of intensive glucose lowering.

Commentary:

Koska J, Saremi A, Howell S, et al. Advanced glycation end products, oxidation products, and incident cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. [Published online ahead of print December 5, 2017]. Diabetes Care. doi:10.2337/dc17-1740.