Hyperglycemia Linked to Poor Outcomes in Ischemic Stroke
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
By: Modern Medicine

ModernMedicine.com

Among patients who suffer ischemic stroke, hyperglycemia at admission may increase the risks for poor outcomes after thrombolysis, according to a study in the September issue of the Archives of Neurology.

Niaz Ahmed, M.D., of the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues in the Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke International Stroke Thrombolysis Register (SITS-ISTR) study enrolled 16,049 patients with ischemic stroke who were treated with thrombolysis. The researchers recorded blood glucose levels at admission and observed the cohort for mortality, independence at three months, and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH).

Compared to the reference level (80 to 120 mg/dL), the researchers found that blood glucose greater than 120 mg/dL was associated overall with a significantly higher risk of mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.24) and reduced odds for independence (OR, 0.58), while blood glucose from 181 to 200 mg/dL was associated with an increased risk of SICH (OR, 2.86). However, the association between glucose levels, mortality, and SICH did not achieve statistical significance in people with diabetes.

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