High Incidence of Diabetes after Stroke in Young Adults and Risk of Recurrent Vascular Events: The FUTURE Study

BACKGROUND Diabetes diagnosed prior to stroke in young adults is strongly associated with recurrent vascular events. The relevance of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and incidence of diabetes after young stroke is unknown. We investigated the long-term incidence of diabetes after young stroke and evaluated the association of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose with recurrent vascular events. METHODS This study was part of the FUTURE study. All consecutive patients between January 1, 1980, and November 1, 2010 with TIA or ischemic stroke, aged 18-50, were recruited. A follow-up assessment was performed in survivors between November 1, 2009 and January 1, 2012 and included an evaluation for diabetes, fasting venous plasma glucose and recurrent vascular events. The association of diabetes and IFG with recurrent vascular events was assessed by logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex and follow-up duration. RESULTS 427 survivors without a medical history of diabetes were included in the present analysis (mean follow-up of 10.1 (SD 8.4) years; age 40.3 (SD 7.9) years). The incidence rate of diabetes was 7.9 per 1000 person-years and the prevalence of IFG was 21.1%. Patients with diabetes and IFG were more likely to have experienced any vascular event than those with normal fasting glucose values (OR 3.5 (95%CI 1.5-8.4) for diabetes and OR 2.5 (95%CI 1.3-4.8) for IFG). CONCLUSIONS Diabetes or IFG in young stroke survivors is frequent and is associated with recurrent vascular events. Regular screening for IFG and diabetes in this population, yields potential for secondary prevention.