The concerning mortality findings in
the ACCORD trial, discussed below
(39), and the relatively intense efforts
required to achieve near-euglycemia
should also be considered when setting
glycemic targets. However, based on
physician judgment and patient preferences,
select patients, especially those
with little comorbidity and long life expectancy,
may benefit from adopting
more intensive glycemic targets (e.g.,
A1C target ,6.5%) as long as signifi-
cant hypoglycemia does not become a
barrier.
A1C and Cardiovascular Disease
Outcomes
CVD is a more common cause of death
than microvascular complications in
populations with diabetes. There is evidence
for a cardiovascular benefit of intensive
glycemic control after long-term
follow-up of study cohorts treated early
in the course of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
In the DCCT, there was a trend
toward lower risk of CVD events with
intensive control. In the 9-year postDCCT
follow-up of the EDIC cohort, participants
previously randomized to the
intensive arm had a significant 57% reduction
in the risk of nonfatal myocardial
infarction (MI), stroke, or CVD
death compared with those previously
in the standard arm (40). The benefit of
intensive glycemic control in this type 1
diabetic cohort has recently been
shown to persist for several decades
(41).