Endogenous Glucose Production in Critical Illness

Regulation of endogenous glucose production (EGP) by hormonal, neuronal, and metabolic signaling pathways contributes to the maintenance of euglycemia under normal physiologic conditions. EGP is defined by the generation of glucose from substrates through glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, usually in fasted states, for local and systemic use. Abnormal increases in EGP are noted in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, and elevated EGP may also impact the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and congestive heart failure. In this narrative review, we performed a literature search in PubMed to identify recently published English language articles characterizing EGP in critical illness. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies demonstrates that critical illness can disrupt EGP through multiple mechanisms including increased systemic inflammation, counterregulatory hormone and catecholamine release, alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, insulin resistance, lactic acidosis, and iatrogenic insults such as vasopressors and glucocorticoids administered as part of clinical care. EGP contributes to hyperglycemia in critical illness when abnormally elevated and to hypoglycemia when abnormally depressed, each of which has been independently associated with increased mortality. Increased EGP may also promote protein catabolism that could worsen critical illness myopathy and impede recovery. Better understanding of the mechanisms and factors contributing to dysregulated EGP in critical illness may help in the development of therapeutic strategies that promote euglycemia, reduce intensive care unit-associated catabolism, and improve patient outcomes.