New research shows that even slightly higher levels of glucose
(sugar) in the blood noticeably increase the risk of ischemic
heart disease. The study involves more than 80,000 people and
has just been published in Journal of the American College of
Cardiology. It is not only people with diabetes who risk heart-
related problems resulting from lifelong elevated blood glucose
levels. New research from the University of Copenhagen shows
that even a slightly elevated level of blood glucose in non-
diabetic people results in a conspicuously greater risk of
ischemic heart disease. The researchers were surprised that even
a slightly higher blood glucose value appears to be dangerous
over a longer period. Healthy people without diabetes have a
normal, fasting blood glucose value of less than 6 moll/L (=108
mg/dl). However, the study showed that over many years a blood
glucose value of only 1 mmol/L (=18 mg/dl) above normal
increases the risk of heart attack by 69 per cent. The
researchers were able to show in a group o