According to a recent retrospective cohort study published in ‘Diabetes Metabolism and Research Reviews’, in-patient hyperglycemia is found to increase the mortality risk and the odds are greater for adults without diabetes and for those meeting type 2 diabetes targets. The authors opined that baseline glycemic status did modify the association between hyperglycemia and mortality and those without type 2 diabetes with in-patient hyperglycemia were at greater risk for mortality than those with type 2 diabetes. Researchers also observed that patients with controlled type 2 diabetes prior to hospitalization were at greater risk for mortality than those with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

      The study was conducted in 174,671 adults (mean age, 68.7 years; 50.2% men) admitted overnight to in-patient wards. All participants were aged 45 years or older, had a glucose test during hospitalization, not pregnant, did not have an active malignancy or stage 5 chronic kidney disease, and were not transferred to another facility. The study population was divided into four groups based on baseline glycemic status: type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, adults without type 2 diabetes and unscreened. Researchers assessed mortality from the date of hospital admission until 30 days after discharge. The adjusted association between hyperglycemia and mortality was assessed with logistic regression models. The multivariate model demonstrated a 2.18‐fold risk of mortality associated with hyperglycemia (OR [95%CI]: 2.19 [2.08-2.31]). Adding the interaction terms between hyperglycemia and baseline glycemic status the ORs of 30-day mortality were 1.41 [1.25-1.60] in non-T2DM status, 1.32 [1.16-1.51] in pre-diabetes status, and 1.30 [1.04-1.62] in unscreened status, as compared to T2DM status with hyperglycemia.

      The study concluded that hyperglycemia is positively associated with high mortality risk in those without and with controlled type 2 diabetes.

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