Abstract
Objective: We evaluated cigarette smoking, alcohol intake and consumption of different foods as determinants of glycated haemoglobin in a general population sample.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Setting: England.
Subjects: Representative sample of 15 809 adults aged 16 y and older. Data analysed for 9772 non-diabetic, white European subjects.
Main outcome measures: Glycated haemoglobin (GHb). Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), waist–hip circumference ratio, activity level, and educational attainment.
Results: After adjusting for confounding, GHb was 0.277% (95% confidence interval 0.218 to 0.336) higher in current smokers of 20 or more per day, compared with non-smokers. GHb was 0.189% (0.101 to 0.277) lower in those drinking 42 or more units of alcohol per week than in non-drinkers. GHb was not associated with frequency of consumption of pulses, fruit, vegetables and salads, cakes, bread or confectionery. GHb was higher in subjects who took sugar in tea (0.051%, 0.015 to 0.087%) or in coffee (0.069%, 0.034 to 0.105%). GHb was higher in subjects who used solid fat for cooking (0.082%, 0.022 to 0.142%), or who drank whole rather than reduced-fat milk (0.088%, 0.036 to 0.140%), or used butter or hard margarine rather than low-fat spreads (0.075%, 0.029 to 0.121%).
Conclusions: In the general population, higher GHb may be associated with cigarette smoking, or frequent consumption of fat-containing foods. Consumption of alcohol may be associated with lower GHb.
Sponsorship: None.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001) 55, 615–623
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Acknowledgements
Data from the Health Survey for England 1994 are Crown Copyright and were used by permission of the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Data Archive, University of Essex, England. Neither the Data Archive nor ONS bear any responsibility for the analysis and interpretation presented here.
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Gulliford, M., Ukoumunne, O. Determinants of glycated haemoglobin in the general population: associations with diet, alcohol and cigarette smoking. Eur J Clin Nutr 55, 615–623 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601233
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601233
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