Hyperglycemia and Outcomes in Patients with Successful Reperfusion by Mechanical Thrombectomy

Objective This study examined whether or not hyperglycemia on admission is associated with poor outcomes in patients with successful reperfusion by mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods Consecutive patients with acute anterior circulation stroke and large-vessel occlusion treated with MT were evaluated. Hyperglycemia was defined as a blood glucose level of >140 mg/dL on admission. Successful reperfusion was defined as Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction of grade 2b or 3. A poor clinical outcome 90 days after the onset was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 4-6. We compared characteristics, including outcomes, between the normoglycemic (≤140 mg/dL) and hyperglycemic groups. In addition, the association between hyperglycemia and outcomes was evaluated in patients with successful reperfusion using MT. Results The participants comprised 407 patients [median age, 76.5 years old; 58.0% men; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, 17]. The site of occlusion was the Internal Carotid Artery (ICA) in 119 patients (29.2%) and the M1 in 178 patients (43.7%). Normoglycemia, hyperglycemia, successful reperfusion, and poor outcomes were found in 138 (33.9%), 269 (66.1%), 320 (78.6%), and 141 (34.4%) patients, respectively. Poor outcomes were more frequent in hyperglycemic patients (61.6%) than in normoglycemic patients (43.9%, p=0.001). Among patients with successful reperfusion, poor outcomes were more frequent in hyperglycemic patients (57.8%) than in normoglycemic patients (37.9%; p<0.001). In patients with successful reperfusion, a multivariate regression analysis identified hyperglycemia as a factor associated with poor outcomes (odds ratio, 2.151; confidence interval, 1.166-3.970; p=0.014). Conclusion Among all patients, hyperglycemia on admission was associated with a poor outcome in those treated with MT. Regarding the presence of successful reperfusion by MT, patients with successful reperfusion had such effects.