Post Stroke Hyperglycemia as a Marker of Stroke Severity and Prognosis: A Cohort Study

Abstract

Stroke is a ubiquitous killer of almost unmatched proportions. The World Health Organization estimates that around 17.5 million people succumb annually to cardiovascular diseases, making this the world’s most deadly category of disease. Of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, which is responsible for 6.7 million of those deaths, is second only to coronary heart disease Of the modifiable risk factors, the most important are hypertension, dyslipidemia, DM, and smoking and others include obesity, heavy alcohol consumption, and renal insufficiency. The importance of prevention by risk factor modification cannot be understated. The NIHSS’ strong ability to predict outcomes after stroke helps clinicians provide accurate information to patients, set realistic goals for therapy and plan for discharge. The NIHSS captures both motor and non-motor impairments of stroke, and provides a good overview of people’s deficits. Hyperglycemia is commonly found in patients suffering acute ischemic stroke, with an incidence of approximately 40%. Acute hyperglycemia can increase infarct volume, risk exposure of secondary hemorrhagic transformation and reduce recanalization after intravenous thrombolysis, thus leading to poor prognosis. The aim of this work was to study the glycemic status after acute stroke and to assess the role of glycemic status in influencing stroke outcome.