Zhao Y, Malik S, Budoff MJ, et al. - This study’s findings demonstrate that diabetes is cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk equivalent in one-fifth of CVD-free adults living with diabetes. Predictors of CVD risk equivalence included high HbA1c, long diabetes duration, and diabetes medication use. Diabetes was found as a CVD risk equivalent for women, white people, those of younger age, with higher triglycerides or CRP, or reduced kidney function.

• Researchers designed a pooled cohort including a total of 27,730 individuals (mean age of 58.5 years, 44.6% male).

• CVD rates per 1000 person-years were 16.5, 33.4, 43.2, and 71.4 among those with diabetes mellitus (DM)-/CVD-, DM+/CVD-, DM-/CVD+ and DM+/CVD+, respectively.

• Compared with those with DM-/CVD+, they found similar or higher CVD risks for those with HbA1c ≥ 7%, diabetes duration ≥10 years, or diabetes medication use while those with less severe diabetes had lower risks.

• The results showed that Hazard ratios (95%CI) for DM+/CVD- vs. DM-/CVD+ were 0.96(0.86–1.07), 0.97(0.88–1.07), 0.96(0.82–1.13), 1.18(0.98–1.41), 0.93(0.85–1.02) and 1.00(0.89–1.13) among women, white race, age <55 years, triglycerides ≥2.26 mmol/L, hs-CRP ≥ 2 mg/L and eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73m², respectively.

• As per the results, 19.1% had CVD risk equivalent diabetes in DM+/CVD- group with a lower risk score but a higher observed CVD risk.