Background: Hyperglycemia in acute coronary syndrome is associated with an increased risk of death in patients without previously known diabetes but the prognostic role of postrevascularization hyperglycemia in these patients is so far incompletely elucidated.
Materials and methods: In 175 consecutive patients without previously known diabetes and with ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplasty, we evaluated the relation between acute and chronic glucose dysmetabolism and early and late mortality and the relation between hyperglycemia and extension of myocardial damage [creatine phosphokinase-MB (CPK-MB), troponin I levels, ejection fraction], inflammation (leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein) and prognostic biohumoral markers [N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and lactic acid].
Results: Highest glucose levels were associated with higher Killip class, lower ejection fraction and increased values of CPK, CPK-MB, troponin I, proBNP, lactic acid, leukocytes and insulin. At multivariate logistic regression analysis, the following variables were independent predictors of intraintensive cardiac care unit mortality: postprocedural glycemia [odds ratio (OR) 8.79; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41-54.94; P = 0.020] and troponin I (OR 1.003; 95% CI 1.0004-1.006; P = 0.023) when adjusted for insulinemia [OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.92-1.06; P = not significant (NS)], HbA1c (OR 0.51; 95% CI 0.11-2.37; P = NS), ST elevation myocardial infarction location (OR 1.27; 95% CI 0.44-3.66; P = NS) and creatininemia (OR 1.48; 95% CI 0.90-2.45; P = NS).
Conclusion: In ST elevation myocardial infarction patients without previously known diabetes submitted to percutaneous coronary intervention, glucose serum levels measured after mechanical revascularization were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality.