title: Glycemic variability and glucose complexity in critically ill patients: a retrospective analysis of continuous glucose monitoring data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glycemic variability as a marker of endogenous and exogenous factors, and glucose complexity as a marker of endogenous glucose regulation are independent predictors of mortality in critically ill patients. We evaluated the impact of real time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) on glycemic variability in critically ill patients on intensive insulin therapy (IIT), and investigated glucose complexity--calculated using detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA)--in ICU survivors and non-survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis were conducted of two prospective, randomized, controlled trials in which 174 critically ill patients either received IIT according to a real-time CGM system (n = 63) or according to an algorithm (n = 111) guided by selective arterial blood glucose measurements with simultaneously blinded CGM for 72 hours. Standard deviation, glucose lability index and mean daily delta glucose as markers of glycemic variability, as well as glucose complexity and mean glucose were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glycemic variability measures were comparable between the real time CGM group (n = 63) and the controls (n = 111). Glucose complexity was significantly lower (higher DFA) in ICU non-survivors (n = 36) compared to survivors (n = 138) (DFA: 1.61 (1.46 to 1.68) versus 1.52 (1.44 to 1.58); P = 0.003). Diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with a loss of complexity (diabetic (n = 33) versus non-diabetic patients (n = 141) (DFA: 1.58 (1.48 to 1.65) versus 1.53 (1.44 to 1.59); P = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IIT guided by real time CGM did not result in significantly reduced glycemic variability. Loss of glucose complexity was significantly associated with mortality and with the presence of diabetes mellitus.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adelsmayr
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herkner
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Madl
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Holzinger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003199:Computer Systems / Q000639:trends*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D038321:Glycemic Index / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic / Q000639:trends*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose