Association of Hemoglobin Glycation Index With All-Cause Mortality, Cardiac Mortality, and Cardiovascular Mortality in the General Population: A Retrospective Cohort Study of NHANES Data.

Background: The hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) presents a discrepancy between observed and predicted glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose values. Meanwhile, compared to the HbA1c values, the HGI provides a more comprehensive reflection of blood glucose variability across populations. However, no studies have examined the association between the HGI and all-cause, cardiac, and cardiovascular mortalities in the general population. Hence, this study aimed to investigate these relationships using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. Methods: Participants were stratified into four groups based on the HGI quartiles. Weighted multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the associations between HGI and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cardiac mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis based on the HGI quartiles and log-rank tests were employed to compare differences in primary and secondary endpoints. Additionally, restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves were used to explore nonlinear relationships between the HGI and endpoints, identifying inflection points. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to assess the robustness of the findings. Results: In comparing the baseline characteristics of endpoints across all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, and cardiovascular mortality, significantly higher mortality rates were observed in the high HGI quartile group (Q4) compared to the other three groups (Q1, Q2, and Q3) ( Conclusion: This study demonstrates a U-shaped association between the HGI and overall mortality, cardiac mortality, and cardiometabolic mortality in the general population. Specifically, the high HGI value represented a risk factor for all-cause, cardiac, and cardiovascular mortality. In contrast, low HGI values were associated only with all-cause mortality in the general population.