title: Impact of hyperglycemia on ischemic stroke mortality in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies suggest that infarct expansion may be responsible for increased mortality after stroke onset in patients with prolonged stress hyperglycemia. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of prolonged stress hyperglycemia on stroke mortality in patients with and without diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  For 630 stroke patients admitted to the neurological intensive care department within 24 hours of stroke onset, we correlated mean blood glucose levels (MBGL) at admission and 72 hours after admission in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with final outcome. Blood glucose levels higher then 6.1 mmol/L (121 mg/dL) were treated as hyperglycemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 630 patients (mean age 71 A+/- 6), 410 were non-diabetic (mortality, 25%) and 220 patients were diabetic (mortality, 20%). All patients who died within 28 days of hospitalization had prolonged hyperglycemia (at admission and after 72 hours, despite insulin therapy). The unadjusted relative risk of in-hospital mortality within 28 days for all stroke patients was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.14-1.9) for non-diabetic patients and 0.39 (95% CI, 0.27- 1.56) for diabetic patients. The unadjusted relative risk of in-hospital mortality within 28 days in ischemic stroke in patients with MBGL > 6.1-8.0 mmol/L (121-144 mg/dL) at admission and after 72 hours was 1.83 (95% CI, 0.41-5.5) for non-diabetic patients and 1.13 (95% CI, 0.78-4.5) for diabetic patients. Non-diabetic patients with hyperglycemia had a 1.7 times higher relative risk of in-hospital 28-day mortality than patients with diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prolonged stress hyperglycemia in ischemic stroke patients increases the risk of in-hospital 28- day mortality, especially in non-diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Vinogradska, Zagreb, Croatia. vanjakes@net.hr
authors.forename: Vanja Basic
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Kes
authors.forename: Vesna Vargek
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Solter
authors.forename: Visnja
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Supanc
authors.forename: Vida
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Demarin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000097:blood*; D016019:Survival Analysis