Higher Mortality for Hyperglycemic Stroke Patients

A study has shown that stroke patients with high blood sugar at the time of hospital admission have a higher risk of death than stroke patients with normal blood sugar. The study was published in the July 9, 2002, issue of Neurology.

Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IU, Indianapolis, USA) analyzed the medical records of 656 stroke patients. More than 40% had high blood sugar. Although most had a previous diagnosis of diabetes, their blood sugar was not under control. The researchers found that having high blood sugar when stroke occurred put patients at risk for higher 30-day, one-year, and five-year mortality than patients with normal blood sugar.

The stroke patients with high blood sugar also stayed longer in the hospital and had higher hospital costs. Another finding was that during hospitalization, the hyperglycemia of patients was not treated adequately, with more than 90% of these patients continuing to have high blood sugar during their hospital stay.

"Diabetes is a growing problem in the United States. With the link shown in our study between diabetes and poor outcome after stroke, hyperglycemia at the time of stroke may become an even greater problem in years ahead, both in terms of deaths and medical costs,” said Linda S. Williams, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at IU and principal investigator. The same researchers are planning to conduct a phase II study of rapid normalization of high blood sugar at the time of stroke, a treatment available at any hospital.

IU >> www.medicine.iu.edu



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