Background: No data are so far available on the association between glycaemic variability and outcomes in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) following ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
Methods: We assessed the relationship between glycaemic variability and mortality, both short term and long term, in 67 consecutive patients with cardiogenic shock following STEMI admitted to our Intensive Cardiac Care Unit. Glycaemic variability was measured in the first 48 h by means of standard deviation (SD) of glucose values and the mean absolute glucose change per hour (MAGC) defined as the sum of all absolute glucose change divided by the time in hours.
Results: Lower glycaemic variability was observed in survivors when compared with nonsurvivors, as indicated by lower values of SD and MAGC, respectively. In Cox regression analysis, MAGC and SD were independent predictors of death (MAGC: adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 8.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.21-33.41, p = 0.002; SD: adjusted HR: 6.64, 95% CI: 1.92-22.99, p = 0.003), as well as peak glycaemia (adjusted HR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.20-3.15, p = 0.007).
Conclusions: According to our results, in patients with CS following acute myocardial infarction, early glycaemic variability is an independent predictor of mortality. Further studies are needed to confirm our results in larger cohorts and eventually to assess the effect of strategies specifically targeting glucose variability reduction on mortality.
Keywords: ST elevation myocardial infarction; cardiogenic shock; glucose values; glycaemic variability; mortality.
© The Author(s), 2015.