OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impact of mean fasting glucose over the first 72 hours after admission on in-hospital outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

METHODSThe data of 357 non-diabetic patients hospitalized with STEMI were collected from the database of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, affiliated to Sun Yat-sen University between January 2006 and April 2009. The patients were categorized into 3 groups according to mean fasting glucose over the first 72 hours after admission: < 5.6 (n = 165), 5.6 - 7.0 (n = 122) and > 7.0 mmol/L (n = 70). Clinical characteristics, therapeutic approaches and the incidence of heart failure, malignant arrhythmias, and death during hospitalization were compared among groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between risk factors and in-hospital outcomes. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to assess the power of mean fasting glucose on predicting in-hospital death.

RESULTSAge, past history of infarction and early revascularization therapy were similar among groups. Heart rate on admission, white blood cell count, peak CK-MB level, and proportion of extensive anterior infarction were increased in proportion to higher mean fasting glucose levels. Higher mean fasting glucose levels were associated with increased risk of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, heart failure characterized by higher Killip class, and malignant arrhythmias. After multivariate adjustment, mean fasting glucose remained to be an independent risk factor for increased in-hospital death of patients with STEMI (OR = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.10 - 1.57; P = 0.003). Mean fasting glucose had the higher area under the ROC curve than admission glucose or fasting glucose after admission based on single measurement (0.758, 0.674 and 0.717; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONMean fasting glucose during first 72 hours after admission is an independent predictor for in-hospital death and complications in patients with STEMI, which is superior to admission glucose or fasting glucose after admission based on single measurement in predicting in-hospital outcomes.