Admission Glucose and Mortality in Elderly Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Top Cited Papers
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Background— The relationship between admission glucose levels and outcomes in older diabetic and nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction is not well defined. Methods and Results— We evaluated a national sample of elderly patients (n=141 680) hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction from 1994 to 1996. Admission glucose was analyzed as a categorical (≤110, >110 to 140, >140 to 170, >170 to 240, >240 mg/dL) and continuous variable for its association with mortality in patients with and without recognized diabetes. A substantial proportion of hyperglycemic patients (eg, 26% of those with glucose >240 mg/dL) did not have recognized diabetes. Fewer hyperglycemic patients without known diabetes received insulin during hospitalization than diabetics with similar glucose levels (eg, glucose >240 mg/dL, 22% versus 73%; P240 mg/dL, 10% to 39%) com...