The Challenge of Dysglycemia and Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing globally, and although
there is a small increase in the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus, T2DM accounts
for 95% of all individuals with diabetes.1 A high prevalence of undiagnosed glucose abnormalities
has been demonstrated in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) including acute
myocardial infarction (AMI),2 and several studies have shown that newly detected glucose
metabolism abnormalities in the form of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes represent an
independent risk for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.3,4 There seems to be a curvilinear
relation between post-oral glucose tolerance test, glucose levels and the risk for cardiovascular
disease, and the risk increases already in the non-diabetic range of glucose levels.