Advanced glycation end products via skin autofluorescence as potential marker of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract Background and Aims Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are reported to be correlated with diabetic vascular complications. This study aimed to investigate the association between AGEs and carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) as a surrogate marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods and results A total of 1,006 patients with type 2 diabetes were included. CAS was defined as the presence of carotid arterial atherosclerotic plaque in any of bilateral carotid artery segments measured by ultrasonography. AGEs were measured by the noninvasive skin autofluorescence method. AGEage index was calculated as AGEs × age/100. Patients with CAS showed a significantly higher AGEage (P Conclusion AGEage, the noninvasive measurement of AGEs combined with age is a promising approach for triaging patients at high risk of CVDs.