The association between glycaemic control during hospitalization and risk of adverse events: A retrospective cohort study

Link to article at PubMed

Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2021 May 27;4(3):e00268. doi: 10.1002/edm2.268. eCollection 2021 Jul.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Hyperglycaemia is common during hospitalization; glycaemic targets in non-critical care settings have not been well studied. We assessed associations between inpatient glycaemic control and adverse events.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on non-critically ill medical patients hospitalized in a tertiary care hospital between 2015 and 2018. Mean glycaemia during the first four days of hospitalization was categorized as 4.0-7.0 mmol/L, 7.1-10.0 mmol/L and >10.0 mmol/L. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse events including mortality, infections, acute kidney injury, thromboembolic and cardiovascular events. The secondary outcome was hypoglycaemia, defined as any glycaemia <4.0 mmol/L. Logistic regression was used to assess adverse events, and a Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hypoglycaemia risk.

RESULTS: Our cohort included 1,368 patients, of whom 407 (29.8%) experienced an adverse event. We did not find associations between glycaemia of 4.0-7.0 mmol/L (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63-1.23) or glycaemia of >10.0 mmol/L (adjusted OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.75-1.28) and the occurrence of adverse events, compared to a glycaemia of 7.1-10.0 mmol/L. Glycaemia of >10.0 mmol/L was associated with an increased risk of hypoglycaemia (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.21-2.45). Hypoglycaemia was associated with adverse events (adjusted OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.31-2.60).

CONCLUSIONS: Neither glycaemia of 4.0-7.0 mmol/L nor glycaemia of >10.0mmol/L during non-critical care hospitalization was associated with increased adverse events. Glycaemia of >10.0 mmol/L was associated with increased hypoglycaemia, likely due to aggressive glucose lowering. These findings highlight the need for further studies to discern optimal inpatient glycaemic targets.

PMID:34277991 | PMC:PMC8279636 | DOI:10.1002/edm2.268

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