Education, glucose control, and mortality risks among U.S. older adults with diabetes

Abstract Aims Studies have shown that diabetes mellitus disproportionately afflicts persons of low socioeconomic status and that the burden of disease is greatest among the disadvantaged. However, our understanding of educational differences in the control of diabetes and its impact on survival is limited. This study investigated the associations among education, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ), and subsequent mortality in adults with diabetes. Methods Prospective cohort data from the 2006, 2008, and 2010 Health and Retirement Study were linked with biomarker data for U.S. older adults with diabetes ( n = 3312). Weighted distributions were estimated for all subjects at baseline and by the American Diabetes Association's general guidelines for HbA1c control (