Hyperglycemia, Insulin Resistance in Teens Linked to Worsening Cardiac Damage at Age 24
FRIDAY, May 9, 2025 -- Adolescent hyperglycemia and worsening insulin resistance (IR) are associated with an increased risk for worsening structural and functional cardiac damage, according to a study published online April 29 in Diabetes Care.
Andrew O. Agbaje, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, and colleagues examined whether changes in metabolic status from adolescence to young adulthood are associated with the risk for progressive cardiac remodeling and examined potential mechanistic pathways among 1,595 adolescents from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort. Fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels and echocardiography left ventricular (LV) mass indexed for height raised to the power of 2.7 (LVMI2.7) were obtained at a mean age of 17.7 years and at age 24 years.
The researchers found that from baseline to follow-up, there was an increase in the prevalence of LV hypertrophy, from 2.4 to 7.1 percent. Over seven years, there was an independent association for each unit increase of glucose and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) with increased LVMI2.7. Higher odds of worsening LV hypertrophy over seven years were seen in association with persistent hyperglycemia of 5.6 and 6.1 mmol/L (odds ratios, 1.46 and 3.10, respectively). The association of increased HOMA-IR with increased LVMI2.7 was significantly mediated by increased fat mass (62 percent mediation).
"Efforts targeted at preventing and treating adolescent obesity may help disrupt the pathogenesis of IR, young-onset type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular alterations in later life," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Read this next
Metabolic Surgery Has Greater Long-Term Benefits Than GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2025 -- People with obesity and type 2 diabetes who undergo metabolic surgery live longer and face fewer serious health problems compared with patients treated...
Patients With Extreme Obesity Face Limitations to Accessing Specialty Care
TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2025 -- Patients weighing more than 450 lb face considerable limitations when attempting to access specialty care, according to a research letter published...
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Tied to Reduced Mortality in Patients With Psoriasis
TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2025 -- Patients with psoriasis treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have better long-term outcomes compared with those taking...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.