High Blood Glucose Raises Mortality for Inpatients With Heart Failure

Elevated blood glucose levels upon admission are linked to increased mortality in the hospital and during the next 2 months in people without diabetes who are hospitalized for heart failure, according to a study reported in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers analyzed the data of 1,122 patients hospitalized for heart failure as part of a large national study in Israel. The in-hospital mortality of those with the highest blood glucose levels was twice as high as the mortality of those with the lowest levels. Each 18 mg/dl increase in glucose level was linked to a 31% increase in the risk of mortality in the hospital.

The higher risk of mortality was found during hospitalization and for the first 60 days after admission, but was not observed at the 6-month or 1-year marks.

Blood glucose may be an important marker for mortality among nondiabetic patients hospitalized for heart failure and should be the focus of medical management, investigators conclude.

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