Postprandial Plasma Glucose Measured from Blood Taken between 4 and 7.9 h Is Positively Associated with Mortality from Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease

It is unknown whether postprandial plasma glucose measured from blood taken between 4 and 7.9 h (PPG_4-7.9h) is associated with mortality from hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to investigate these associations in 4896 US adults who attended the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PPG_4-7.9h for mortality. This cohort was followed up for 106,300 person-years (mean follow-up, 21.7 years). A 1-natural-log-unit increase in PPG_4-7.9h was associated with a higher risk of mortality from hypertension (HR, 3.50; 95% CI, 2.34-5.24), diabetes (HR, 11.7; 95% CI, 6.85-20.0), and CVD (HR, 2.76; 95% CI, 2.08-3.68) after adjustment for all the tested confounders except hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c). After further adjustment for HbA_1c, PPG_4-7.9h remained positively associated with mortality from both hypertension (HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.13-4.08) and CVD (HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.05-2.51), but was no longer associated with diabetes mortality. Subgroup analyses showed that similar results were obtained in the sub-cohort of participants without a prior diagnosis of myocardial infarction or stroke. In conclusion, PPG_4-7.9h predicts mortality from hypertension and CVD, independent of HbA_1c.