Table 5 Main messages on the mortality and cardiovascular disease burden of uncontrolled diabetes in a registry-based cohort: the ESCARVAL-risk study

Main messages

 There is much evidence on the role of hyperglycemia as a cardiovascular disease

 The HbA1c level is used as a biomarker of diabetes control in clinical practice and is an independent risk factor for CV events, regardless of the diabetes diagnosis

 Information about the population impact associated with uncontrolled diabetes is scarce

 In a large cohort of individuals with diabetes, HbA1c levels was positively related to the risk of all-cause mortality, as well as hospitalization by CHD, starting with HbA1c levels > 6%.

 The fraction of potentially avoidable deaths associated with having HbA1c below 6.5% was 14% and the corresponding fraction of avoidable CHD hospitalizations was 18%.