Impact of glycemic control on the progression of aortic stenosis: a single-center cohort study using a common data model

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-established risk factor for the progression of degenerative aortic stenosis (AS). However, no study has investigated the impact of glycemic control on the rate of AS progression. We aimed to assess the association between the degree of glycemic control and the AS progression, using an electronic health record-based common data model (CDM). Methods We identified patients with mild AS (aortic valve [AV] maximal velocity [Vpeak] 2.0–3.0 m/sec) or moderate AS (Vpeak 3.0–4.0 m/sec) at baseline, and follow-up echocardiography performed at an interval of ≥ 6 months, using the CDM of a tertiary hospital database. Patients were divided into 3 groups: no DM ( n = 1,027), well-controlled DM (mean glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] < 7.0% during the study period; n = 193), and poorly controlled DM (mean HbA1c ≥ 7.0% during the study period; n = 144). The primary outcome was the AS progression rate, calculated as the annualized change in the Vpeak (△Vpeak/year). Results Among the total study population ( n = 1,364), the median age was 74 (IQR 65–80) years, 47% were male, the median HbA1c was 6.1% (IQR 5.6–6.9), and the median Vpeak was 2.5 m/sec (IQR 2.2–2.9). During follow-up (median 18.4 months), 16.1% of the 1,031 patients with mild AS at baseline progressed to moderate AS, and 1.8% progressed to severe AS. Among the 333 patients with moderate AS, 36.3% progressed to severe AS. The mean HbA1c level during follow-up showed a positive relationship with the AS progression rate (β = 2.620; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.732–4.507; p = 0.007); a 1%-unit increase in HbA1c was associated with a 27% higher risk of accelerated AS progression defined as △Vpeak/year values > 0.2 m/sec/year (adjusted OR = 1.267 per 1%-unit increase in HbA1c; 95% CI 1.106–1.453; p < 0.001), and HbA1c ≥ 7.0% was significantly associated with an accelerated AS progression (adjusted odds ratio = 1.524; 95% CI 1.010–2.285; p = 0.043). This association between the degree of glycemic control and AS progression rate was observed regardless of the baseline AS severity. Conclusion In patients with mild to moderate AS, the presence of DM, as well as the degree of glycemic control, is significantly associated with accelerated AS progression.