The haematocrit value in diabetic patients with ischaemic stroke

During a 3-yr period, 238 patients with acute ischaemic stroke were admitted to the medical department of Mubarak teaching hospital, Kuwait. One hundred patients had diabetes, (42%), including 55 females, and 45 males. Compared with non-diabetics, no significant difference was found in age, sex, prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, transient ischaemic attacks or in plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. Plasma glucose on admission was significantly higher in diabetics (14.6 +/- 5.7) compared with non-diabetics (6.1 +/- 1.2 mmol/l) p less than 0.0001. Haematocrit (HCT) was also significantly higher in diabetics (43.17 +/- 5.75) than in non-diabetics (41.20 +/- 5.85) p less than 0.046. Diabetics had higher mortality (21%) than non-diabetics (10%) p less than 0.05. Severe disability was also more frequent in diabetics (23%) than in non-diabetics (10.8%) p less than 0.05. Diabetic men had significantly higher HCT (45.7 +/- 5.2) than non-diabetic (43.1 +/- 4.1) p less than 0.04. Diabetic women had also higher HCT (41.1 +/- 6.2) than non-diabetic (38.8 +/- 5.8), but this was not statistically significant. Compared with age (+/- 2 yr) and sex matched diabetic patients with other clinical problems, diabetic stroke patients had significantly higher plasma glucose (14.6 +/- 5.7) than non-stroke patients (11.8 +/- 3.7 mmol/l) p less than 0.01. Hct was also significantly higher in diabetic stroke patients (43.17 +/- 5.75) compared with other diabetic patients (41.04 +/- 4.3) p less than 0.04.