Evidence mapPaperPMID 41310822Full record

ReviewDiabetology & metabolic syndrome2025

The prognostic role of glycemic variability in predicting the risk of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with cardiovascular diseases: a meta-analysis.

Bahar Darouei, Reza Amani-Beni, Nasim Kakavand, Arsham Seifnezhad, Sadegh Mazaheri-Tehrani, Arman Shekarian, Reza Eshraghi, Ashkan Bahrami, Ehsan Amini-Salehi, Seyyed Mohammad Hashemi and 3 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Diabetology & metabolic syndrome, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. [Effect of glycemic variability on the efficacy of artificial pancreas systems: A real-world study].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Bahar Darouei *Anesthesiology and Critical Care Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5269-0061
Reza Amani-Beni *Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. reza.amani.b13@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8383-6676
Nasim KakavandSchool of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-7298-9262
Arsham SeifnezhadIsfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7209-522X
Sadegh Mazaheri-TehraniChild Growth and Development Research CenterResearch Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Arman ShekarianIsfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-3616-4766
Reza EshraghiSocial Determinants of Health Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Ashkan BahramiStudent Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
Ehsan Amini-SalehiGuilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
Seyyed Mohammad HashemiCardiovascular Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Mohammad Reza MovahedDepartment of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, USA.
Pam R TaubUC San Diego Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Guillermo UmpierrezEmory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3252-5026

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGlycemic variability (GV) reflects glucose fluctuations, and increased GV is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. We systematically evaluated the association between GV, measured by the mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) and standard deviation (SD), and cardiovascular risk in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD). MATERIALS AND

methodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL through May 2025 for studies on GV and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with established cardiovascular disease. Random-effects models with Knapp-Hartung adjustment were used to pool the risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup, sensitivity, and meta-regression analyses were used to explore heterogeneity. The risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool.

resultsSeventeen studies comprising 6,096 patients were included. In the categorical analysis, higher MAGE (RR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.70, 2.80; I² = 15.6%) and SD (RR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.32, 2.87; I² = 55.9%) were associated with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Continuous MAGE was also associated with MACE (RR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.28, 2.14; I² = 65.65%), while continuous SD showed a non-significant association. The adjusted analyses for MAGE reinforced these findings. The MAGE cut-off thresholds significantly moderated the effect sizes in the meta-regression analysis. Subgroup analyses showed between-group differences in SD according to diabetes status and in MAGE according to country and follow-up duration. The certainty of evidence (GRADE) was very low for all contrasts. In outcome-specific analyses, both MAGE and SD were associated with acute heart failure and myocardial infarction, but not cardiovascular mortality.

conclusionGV, particularly when assessed using MAGE, is a significant predictor of cardiovascular risk in patients with pre-existing CVD. While these findings support its prognostic utility, limitations such as the observational design and residual confounding warrant cautious interpretation. Further studies should establish standardized thresholds and dose-response relationships. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD420251002622.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular diseasesCardiovascular eventsGlycemic variabilityMortalityPrognostic factors

Identifiers

PMID41310822
PMCPMC12751544

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.