Nontraditional risk factors for coronary heart disease incidence among persons with diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

BACKGROUND

Major risk factors explain much of the excess risk for coronary heart disease produced by diabetes, but nontraditional factors may also relate to incident coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of traditional and nontraditional risk factors with incidence of coronary heart disease in adults with diabetes.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

PARTICIPANTS

1676 middle-aged persons who had diabetes but no history of prevalent coronary heart disease.

MEASUREMENTS

Multiple risk factors were recorded at baseline. Follow-up was from 1987 through 1995.

RESULTS

186 participants developed incident coronary heart disease events during follow-up. As expected, the incidence of coronary heart disease in participants with diabetes was associated positively with traditional risk factors (hypertension, smoking, total cholesterol level, and low high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol level). After adjustment for sex, age, ethnicity, and ARIC field center, incident coronary heart disease was also significantly associated with waist-to-hip ratio; levels of HDL3 cholesterol, apolipoproteins A-I and B, albumin, fibrinogen, and von Willebrand factor factor VIII activity; and leukocyte count. However, after adjustment for traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease, only levels of albumin, fibrinogen, and von Willebrand factor; factor VIII activity; and leukocyte count remained independently associated with coronary heart disease (P < 0.03). The relative risks associated with the highest compared with lowest groupings of albumin, fibrinogen, factor VIII, and von Willebrand factor values and leukocyte count were 0.64 (95% CI, 0.44 to 0.92), 1.75 (CI, 1.12 to 2.73), 1.58 (CI, 1.02 to 2.42), 1.71 (CI, 1.11 to 2.63), and 1.90 (CI, 1.16 to 3.13), respectively. Adjustment for diabetes treatment status attenuated these associations somewhat.

CONCLUSIONS

Levels of albumin, fibrinogen, and von Willebrand factor; factor VIII activity; and leukocyte count were predictors of coronary heart disease among persons with diabetes. These associations may reflect 1) the underlying inflammatory reaction or microvascular injury related to atherosclerosis and a tendency toward thrombosis or 2) common antecedents for both diabetes and coronary heart disease.