A standard test used to measure blood sugar levels in people with diabetes could also help predict their risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests. The test -- which measures levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in blood -- enables doctors to assess how well their diabetic patients’ blood sugar is controlled over several months. Diabetes is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but the degree of risk may differ in individuals, the researchers explained. “It is possible that identification of people with [type 2] diabetes who have a low estimated 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease may be useful in making treatment decisions,” said lead researcher Nina P. Paynter, an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
