Stress hyperglycemia is predictive of clinical outcomes in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

BACKGROUND: Stress hyperglycemia is a common condition in patients suffering from critical illness such as spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Our study aimed to use glucose-to-glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ratio to investigate the impact of stress hyperglycemia on clinical outcomes in patients with ICH. METHODS: A sample of eligible 586 patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage from a multicenter, hospital-based cohort between 2014 and 2016 were recruited in our study. Stress hyperglycemia was evaluated by the index of the glucose-to-HbA1c ratio that was calculated by fasting blood glucose (mmol/L) divided by HbA1c (%). Patients were divided into two groups based on the median of the glucose-to-HbA1c ratio. The main outcomes were poor functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score of 3–6) at discharge and 90 days. Multivariable logistic regression and stratified analyses were performed to explore the association of stress hyperglycemia with poor prognosis of ICH. RESULTS: On multivariable analysis, higher glucose-to-HbA1c ratio (≥1.02) was independently correlated with poor functional outcomes at discharge (adjusted OR = 3.52, 95%CI: 1.98–6.23) and 90 days (adjusted OR = 2.27, 95%CI: 1.38–3.73) after adjusting for potential confounding factors. The correlation between glucose-to-HbA1c ratio and worse functional outcomes still retained in patients with or without diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS: Stress hyperglycemia, calculated by glucose-to-HbA1c ratio, was independently correlated with worse functional outcomes at discharge and 90 days in patients with ICH. Moreover, glucose-to-HbA1c ratio, might not only be used as a simple and readily available index to predict clinical outcomes of ICH but also provide meaningful insight into future analysis to investigate the optimal range of glucose levels among ICH patients and develop tailored glucose-lowering strategies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-022-02760-9.