Table 1.
Baseline clinical characteristics and glycaemic indexes in patients with diabetes and disease duration ≥ 10 years stratified by HbA1c variability score (HVS) median value followed up between 1995 and 2019
| Low HVS group (< 42.31) | High HVS group (≥ 42.31) | |
|---|---|---|
| n | 7662 | 7624 |
| Clinical profiles at baseline | ||
| Age (years) | 59.04 (11.59) | 58.11 (12.95) |
| Men (n, %) | 3846 (50.2) | 3910 (51.3) |
| Diabetes duration at baseline (years) | 7.56 (6.79) | 9.48 (7.56) |
| Family history of diabetes (n, %) | 3984 (52.0) | 3795 (49.8) |
| Use of tobacco (n, %) | ||
| Current | 700 (9.1) | 1030 (13.5) |
| Ex | 1351 (17.6) | 1490 (19.5) |
| Non-smoker | 5611 (73.2) | 5104 (66.9) |
| Use of alcohol (n, %) | ||
| Ex | 799 (10.4) | 957 (12.6) |
| Never | 5098 (66.5) | 5198 (68.2) |
| Occasional | 1355 (17.7) | 977 (12.8) |
| Regular | 410 (5.4) | 492 (6.5) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 25.42 (4.00) | 25.75 (4.21) |
| Waist hip ratio | 0.91 (0.07) | 0.92 (0.08) |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 133.70 (18.56) | 135.35 (19.53) |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 76.14 (10.54) | 76.38 (10.77) |
| Sensory neuropathy (n, %) | 695 (9.1) | 1149 (15.1) |
| Retinopathy (n, %) | 1608 (21.0) | 2441 (32.0) |
| History of cardiovascular disease (n, %) | 1914 (25.0) | 1803 (23.6) |
| History of heart failure (n, %) | 271 (3.5) | 310 (4.1) |
| Glycaemic variability indexes | ||
| Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L) | 7.10 [6.10, 8.40] | 8.30 [6.80, 10.40] |
| Baseline HbA1c (%) | 7.03 (1.27) | 8.13 (1.75) |
| HbA1c measurements per year | 2.62 (1.39) | 2.92 (1.57) |
| Time weighted mean A1c (mA1c) (%) | 6.99 (0.74) | 8.08 (1.05) |
| HbA1c variability score (HVS) | 25.34 (11.65) | 58.18 (12.01) |
| Standard deviation of HbA1c (SD_A1c) | 0.55 (0.16) | 1.32 (0.49) |
| Standard deviation independent of mean (SDIM) | 0.38 (0.09) | 0.76 (0.25) |
| Laboratory results at baseline | ||
| Triglyceride (mmol/L) | 1.30 [0.90, 1.80] | 1.40 [1.00, 2.01] |
| Triglyceride quantile (n, %) | ||
| Quantile 1 (0-0.97 mmol/L) | 2110 (27.5) | 1769 (23.2) |
| Quantile 2 (0.97-1.35) | 2018 (26.3) | 1900 (24.9) |
| Quantile 3 (1.35-2.0) | 2072 (27.0) | 2046 (26.8) |
| Quantile 4 (≥ 2.0) | 1462 (19.1) | 1909 (25.0) |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 4.78 (0.96) | 4.93 (1.07) |
| HDL-cholesterol (mmol/L) | 1.30 [1.10, 1.51] | 1.21 [1.03, 1.50] |
| LDL-cholesterol (mmol/L) | 2.73 (0.91) | 2.86 (1.02) |
| Estimated GFR (ml/min/1.73m2) | 81.96 (21.14) | 80.83 (24.40) |
| Albuminuria (n, %) | 2537 (33.1) | 3556 (46.6) |
| Microalbuminuria (n, %) | 668 (8.7) | 1193 (15.6) |
| Macroalbuminuria (n, %) | 1869 (24.4) | 2363 (31.0) |
| Alanine transferase (mmol/L) | 28.23 (27.92) | 30.72 (35.28) |
| Bilirubin (mmol/L) | 11.38 (5.60) | 10.81 (5.71) |
| Use of medications at baseline | ||
| Oral glucose lowering drugs (n, %) | 6098 (79.6) | 6177 (81.0) |
| Insulin (n, %) | 1010 (13.2) | 2150 (28.2) |
| Lipid lowering drugs (n, %) | 3146 (41.1) | 2703 (35.5) |
| Blood pressure lowering drugs (n, %) | 4498 (58.7) | 4313 (56.6) |
| Renin angiotensin system inhibitors (n, %) | 2798 (36.5) | 2782 (36.5) |
| Follow-up duration | 11.70 (5.02) | 12.12 (5.56) |
| Death (n, %) | 905 (11.8) | 1892 (24.8) |
Mean (SD) or median (IQR) or number (%). GFR: glomerular filtration rate