High fasting glucose levels as a predictor of worse clinical outcome in patients with coronary artery disease: results from the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) study

Am Heart J. 2004 Feb;147(2):239-45. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2003.09.013.

Abstract

Background: A high fasting glucose level may be a marker not only for microvascular complications, but also for macrovascular complications. We evaluated the clinical significance of a high fasting glucose level (> or =110 mg/dL), detected either at baseline or during follow-up, in the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) study.

Methods: The BIP study was a secondary prevention prospective double-blind study comparing bezafibrate to placebo. A total of 3122 patients with documented coronary artery heart disease who were aged 45 to 74 years and had a total cholesterol level between 180 and 250 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level < or =180 mg/dL, a high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level < or =45 mg/dL, a triglyceride level < or =300 mg/dL, and a fasting glucose < or =160 mg/dL were randomized to receive 400 mg of bezafibrate daily or placebo.

Results: The primary end point of the BIP study was fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or sudden death. Secondary end points included hospitalization for unstable angina, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass grafting. At baseline, 330 patients (11%) had diabetes mellitus, and 293 patients (9%) had an impaired fasting blood glucose level (IFG). During 6.2 years of follow-up, diabetes mellitus developed in 186 patients (6%), IFG developed in 366 patients (12%), and 62% of patients remained with normal fasting glucose levels (NFG). Patients with diabetes mellitus and IFG both at baseline or developing during follow-up had a significantly higher rate of secondary end points than paients with NFG (P <.0001). Bezafibrate treatment reduced secondary end points only in patients with NFG (P =.04).

Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus and IFG were common in the BIP study and were predictive of a worse clinical outcome that was not attenuated with bezafibrate treatment.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Bezafibrate / therapeutic use*
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Coronary Disease / blood*
  • Coronary Disease / complications
  • Coronary Disease / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Complications*
  • Female
  • Glucose Intolerance*
  • Glucose Tolerance Test
  • Humans
  • Hypolipidemic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Hypolipidemic Agents
  • Bezafibrate