Association of diabetes mellitus and admission glucose levels with outcome after endovascular therapy in acute ischaemic stroke in anterior circulation.

BACKGROUND

We aimed to assess the association of diabetes mellitus (DM) and admission hyperglycaemia (AH) respectively and outcome in patients with acute ischaemic stroke with large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation treated with endovascular therapy (EVT) in daily clinical practice.

METHODS

Consecutive EVT patients admitted to our stroke centre between 02/2015-04/2020 were included in this observational cohort study. Patients with vs. without DM and with vs. without AH≥7.8mmol/l were compared.

RESULTS

We included 1020 patients (48.9% women, median age 73.1 years). 282 (27.6%) and 226 (22.2%) had DM and/or AH. Patients with vs. without DM showed less often successful reperfusion (adjusted OR=0.61;p=0.023) and worse 3-month functional outcome (mRS:0-2:31.3% vs. 48%;adjusted OR=0.59;p=0.004, death:38.9% vs. 24.1%;adjusted OR=1.75;p=0.002 and mRS-shift:adjusted p<0.0001, if moderate/good collaterals and mismatch:mRS:0-2:adjusted OR=0.52;p=0.005, death:adjusted OR=1.95;p=0.005). If analysis was adjusted for AH additionally, only mRS-shift was still significantly worse in patients with DM (adjusted p=0.012). Patients with vs. without AH showed similar successful reperfusion rates and worse 3-month functional outcome (mRS:0-2:28.3% vs. 50.4%;adjusted OR=0.52;p<0.0001, death:40.4% vs. 22.4%;adjusted OR=1.80;p=0.001 and mRS-shift:adjusted p<0.0001, if moderate/good collaterals and mismatch:mRS:0-2:adjusted OR=0.38;p<0.0001, death:adjusted OR=2.39;p<0.0001). If analysis was adjusted for DM additionally, 3-month functional outcome remained significantly worse in patients with AH (mRS:0-2:adjusted OR=0.58;p=0.004, death:adjusted OR=1.57;p=0.014 and mRS-shift:adjusted p=0.004). DM independently predicted recurrent/progressive in-hospital ischaemic stroke (OR=1.71;p=0.043) together with admission NIHSS score (OR=0.95;p=0.005) and AH independently predicted in-hospital symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (OR=2.21;p=0.001). The association of admission continuous glucose levels and most outcome variables was (inversely) J-shaped.

CONCLUSIONS

AH more than DM was associated with worse 3-month outcome in the patients studied - more likely so in case of moderate/good collaterals and mismatch in admission imaging.