Admission Glucose and Mortality in Elderly Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: The relationship between admission glucose levels and outcomes in older diabetic and nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction is not well defined. METHODS AND RESULTS: We evaluated a national sample of elderly patients (n=141,680) hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction from 1994 to 1996. Admission glucose was analyzed as a categorical (110 to 140, >140 to 170, >170 to 240, >240 mg/dL) and continuous variable for its association with mortality in patients with and without recognized diabetes. A substantial proportion of hyperglycemic patients (eg, 26% of those with glucose >240 mg/dL) did not have recognized diabetes. Fewer hyperglycemic patients without known diabetes received…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• RW
  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• NI
  National Institute of General Medical Sciences