THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADVANCED GLYCATION END PRODUCTS AND CORONARY RISKS, ABDOMINAL AORTIC DIAMETER AND PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE AMONG ELDERLY DIABETICS

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In elderly diabetic patients, DM is associated with accelerated complications and exaggerated functional deterioration. It is known that AGEs are associated with predisposition to diabetic complications, however studying the effect of AGEs in elderly population with multiple comorbid diseases is little. The purpose of the study was to detect the relationship between advanced glycation end products and coronary risk factors, abdominal aortic diameter and peripheral arterial disease in elderly diabetics. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: case control study enrolled ninety elderly subjects who were divided into 3 groups thirty elderly diabetic subjects with comorbid diseases, thirty elderly diabetic subjects without comorbid diseases, and thirty healthy elderly subjects without diabetes as the control group. Each subject measured total AGEs level, abdominal aortic diameter at the level of iliac bifurcation, and ABI with hand held doppler. RESULTS : AGEs were higher in the control group than other groups, no significant correlation was found between AGEs and abdominal aortic diameter, and there was inverse correlation between AGEs and ABI among group with DM only. CONCLUSION: the use of plasma levels of AGEs as biomarkers for increased CVD risk in elderly may be limited and therefore alternative measurements of AGEs burden should be considered.