Abstract P021: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke Among Women

Background: Poor glucose control as indicated by elevated levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) among those with diabetes is a risk factor for stroke; however, whether HbA1c is independently associated with risk of stroke among those without diabetes remains unclear. Methods: Among 32,826 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study who provided blood samples in 1989-1990, ischemic strokes were identified and confirmed by medical records through 2010. Participants with a history of diabetes or HbA1c ≥ 6.5% at baseline were excluded from the analyses. We conducted a nested case-control analysis of 378 cases, matched to controls (1:1) on age, menopausal status, use of postmenopausal hormones, ancestry, date of blood draw, fasting status and smoking status. The study population was categorized into quartiles based on the baseline HbA1c distribution among the controls Conditional and unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the multivariable adjusted (alcohol intake, body mass index [BMI], physic...