Blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, and outcome of ischemic brain infarction.
From August 1987 through December 1989 all consecutive conscious patients younger than 70 years with a recent (less than 48 h) brain infarction of the carotid territory were prospectively included in the study. Blood samples for fasting blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were taken after a median delay of 23 h of the onset of symptoms. The severity of hemiparesis was assessed on admission, at 1 week, 3 weeks, and 3 months. The functional outcome was assessed at 3 months. Computed cerebral tomography was performed on admission, and later on at 3 weeks or 3 months. The brain infarct volume was measured from the CTs. The patients were diagnosed to have prestroke normoglycemia (n = 76) and prestroke hyperglycemia (n = 23) on basis of the HbA1c level. The case fatality rate, severity of hemiparesis, functional outcome, and infarct size did not differ between these 2 groups. On the other hand, fasting blood glucose level of the non-diabetics correlated strongly with the severity of hemiparesis and predicted stroke outcome. A statistically significant correlation was observed between blood glucose values and the volumes of cortical infarcts in non-diabetics. Because prestroke blood glucose level, in contrast to post-stroke blood glucose level, did not have any predictive value concerning stroke outcome it is concluded that high fasting blood glucose values after stroke reflect a stress response to a more severe ischemic brain lesion.
Murros
K
K
Department of Neurology, Central Hospital of Central Finland, Jyväskylä.
Fogelholm
R
R
Kettunen
S
S
Vuorela
A L
AL
Valve
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin