Achievement of Treatment Goals and Mortality in Individuals with Diabetes: The ELSA-Brasil Study

Abstract

Background: To prevent diabetes complications, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has recommended the treatment of blood glucose, blood pressure, and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) to target levels. Our aim is to characterize the risk of death according to the achievement of these goals in subjects with diabetes participating in the ELSA-Brasil study. Methods: ELSA-Brasil is an occupational cohort study of middle-aged and elderly adults followed from a 2008–2010 baseline to 2019 by two additional clinic visits and annual telephone interviews. We ascertained known diabetes by self-reported diagnosis or anti-diabetic medication use. We used treatment targets based on the 2022 ADA guidelines. We ascertained deaths from any cause based on the annual surveillance confirmed by death certificates. Results: After 11 (1.8) years of follow-up, 261 subjects had died among 2423 with known diabetes. Within-target HbA1c was associated with the greatest protection (HR = 0.66; 95%CI 0.50–0.88) against all-cause mortality. Achieving both glycemic and blood pressure targets conferred substantial protection (HR = 0.54; 95%CI 0.37–0.78). Within-target LDL-c, however, was associated with increased mortality (HR = 1.44; 95%CI 1.11–1.88). Conclusions: Glucose and blood pressure control, especially when concomitant, reduced mortality. The increased mortality associated with achieving the LDL-c target merits further investigation.