Sex difference in the effect of the fasting serum glucose level on the risk of coronary heart disease

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic women have a greater relative risk of coronary heart disease than diabetic men. However, the sex difference in the effect of fasting serum glucose levels below the diabetic range on the risk of coronary heart disease is unclear. We investigated whether the association between nondiabetic blood glucose levels and the incident risk of coronary heart disease is different between men and women. METHODS: The fasting serum glucose levels and other cardiovascular risk factors at baseline were measured in 159,702 subjects (100,144 men and 59,558 women). Primary outcomes were hospital admission and death due to coronary heart disease during the 11-year follow-up. RESULTS: The risk for coronary heart disease in women significantly increased with impaired fasting glucose levels (≥110mg/dL) compared to normal glucose levels (