Glucose levels as a prognostic marker in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a case–control study

BACKGROUND: Patients with myocardial infarction (MI) have a high mortality. Therefore, new risk markers and predictors of an adverse outcome for MI are required. The role of hyperglycemia in the development of cardiovascular complications in MI patients is still unclear. METHODS: A total of 529 consecutive patients with the diagnosis of ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome within 24 h of the onset of symptoms were included in the study. All of the patients underwent blood glucose measurement at admission to hospital. The glycemic profile, including measurement of blood glucose levels early in the night and in the morning (3 a.m. and 5 a.m.), was assessed in 77 patients with diabetes on days 6–10 of the course of MI to monitor the efficiency of blood glucose-lowering therapy and to detect hypoglycemic episodes. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality showed relationship between the level of blood glucose on admission and in-hospital mortality in patients with MI with ST-segment elevation in combination with diabetes mellitus. There was a direct linear relationship between blood glucose levels and in-hospital mortality in patients without diabetes. CONCLUSION: Episodes of hypoglycemia recorded in MI patients with diabetes in the hospital stage of treatment do not determine the prognosis, but enable identification of patients with an unfavorable course in the postinfarction period.