Trace elements and risk of diabetes-related vascular complications: results from the EPIC-Potsdam cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Our findings indicate that higher serum levels of iodine measured prior to the diagnosis of diabetes are associated with higher risk of subsequent microvascular complications in diabetes, while copper-to-zinc ratio is associated with microvascular complications in a sex-specific manner.
Study context
- Population
- Participants with incident diabetes, free of micro- and macrovascular disease, with pre-diagnostic serum trace element measurements, EPIC-Potsdam cohort
- Participants
- 627 participants
- Exposure
- Pre-diagnosis serum trace element levels (per SD) and risk of diabetes-related vascular complications
- Outcome
- Diabetes-related vascular complications (microvascular and macrovascular)
- Follow-up
- Median 12.8 years
Methodological detailsCox proportional hazards models, Bayesian kernel machine regression, Microvascular complications n = 212; macrovascular complications n = 69
- Cox proportional hazards models
- Bayesian kernel machine regression
- Microvascular complications n = 212; macrovascular complications n = 69
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Iodine (per SD) and vascular complications
Iodine and total vascular complications, HR per SD
1.16, 1.02-1.31
95% CI
Iodine and microvascular complications, HR per SD
1.18, 1.03-1.35
95% CI
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Zinc, sex-stratified
- Women: zinc and total vascular complications, HR
- 1.35, 1.06-1.73 (95% CI)
- Women: zinc and microvascular complications, HR
- 1.52, 1.15-2.02 (95% CI)
- Men: zinc and macrovascular complications, HR
- 1.33, 1.00-1.77 (95% CI)
Copper-to-zinc ratio and microvascular complications, sex-stratified
- Women, HR
- 0.69, 0.54-0.88 (95% CI)
- Men, HR
- 1.54, 1.17-2.02 (95% CI)
Original publication
Trace elements and risk of diabetes-related vascular complications: results from the EPIC-Potsdam cohort study. Cardiovasc Diabetol. Published 24 July 2025. doi:10.
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