Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Prediabetic Subjects and Their Association with HbA1c

Abstract

Background: Prediabetes is a high-risk intermediate metabolic state characterised by impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), which significantly increases the risk of developing both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) serves as a valuable surrogate marker of glycaemic exposure and has been increasingly linked to subclinical cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to assess cardiovascular risk factors in prediabetic subjects and evaluate their association with HbA1c levels.

Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted involving 100 prediabetic cases (HbA1c 5.7–6.4% or FPG 100–125 mg/dL) and 100 age- and sex-matched normoglycemic controls. Detailed anthropometric measurements, lipid profiles, blood pressure, and Framingham 10-year CVD risk scores were assessed. Pearson's correlation and binary logistic regression analyses were applied.

Results: Prediabetic subjects demonstrated significantly elevated systolic blood pressure (132.4 ± 14.2 vs. 118.6 ± 11.4 mmHg; p<0.001), higher LDL-C (138.4 ± 28.6 vs. 108.7 ± 23.5 mg/dL; p<0.001), reduced HDL-C (38.6 ± 7.2 vs. 48.4 ± 8.9 mg/dL; p<0.001), and elevated triglycerides compared to controls. HbA1c showed a significant positive correlation with total cholesterol (r=0.52), triglycerides (r=0.46), systolic blood pressure (r=0.48), and Framingham CVD risk score (r=0.58).

Conclusion: Prediabetes is associated with a significantly higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors even before the onset of overt diabetes. HbA1c demonstrates a strong positive correlation with multiple CVD risk markers, reinforcing its utility as a screening tool for early cardiovascular risk stratification.