Association between glycated haemoglobin and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A prospective cohort study in UK biobank
Authors' conclusion
Our findings indicated that lower and higher HbA1c levels were associated with a higher risk of COPD. In COPD cases, lower and higher HbA1c levels were associated with a higher COPD all-cause death risk.
Study context
- Population
- General population in the UK Biobank; survival analysis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)18,854 with COPD
- Participants
- 420,065 participants
- Exposure
- HbA1c quintiles and deciles vs reference category
- Outcome
- Incident COPD
- Follow-up
- Median 12.3 years
Methodological detailsUK Biobank, restricted cubic spline analysis, Cox proportional hazards regression
- UK Biobank
- Restricted cubic spline analysis
- Cox proportional hazards regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
COPD risk
Hazard ratio (95% CI)
Quintile 5vs Quintile 222% higher risk
1.22(1.15–1.30)
Lowest decilevs Decile 2
1.16(1.03–1.30)
Highest decilevs Decile 2
1.36(1.24–1.50)
- COPD cases recorded
- 11 556
- Non-linear relationship of HbA1c with COPD risk
- p for non-linearity < .05
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | HR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| All-cause death in patients with COPD · median follow-up 5.4 yearsQuintile 5vs Quintile 2Quintile 5 ≥38.7 mmol/mol; 23% higher risk | 1.23 (1.10–1.37) | |
| All-cause death in patients with COPD · median follow-up 5.4 yearsLowest decilevs Decile 4 (33.3-<34.3 mmol/mol)22% higher risk | 1.22 (1.01–1.47) | |
| All-cause death in patients with COPD · median follow-up 5.4 yearsHighest decilevs Decile 4 (33.3-<34.3 mmol/mol)28% higher risk | 1.28 (1.11–1.48) | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
- All-cause death in patients with COPD — Deaths among patients with COPD
- 4569 (488 because of COPD)
- All-cause death in patients with COPD — Non-linear relationship of HbA1c with all-cause death
- p for non-linearity < .05
COPD risk by subgroup
- Increased COPD risk with HbA1c more pronounced in younger, current smokers, passive smokers and higher Townsend deprivation index
- all p for interaction < .05
COPD-specific death
- No significant association between HbA1c levels and COPD-specific death
Original publication
Association between glycated haemoglobin and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A prospective cohort study in UK biobank. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 29 August 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →