Chronic hyperglycemia and intracranial meningiomas

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Endocrinology
• Metabolic research

Background:

• Meningiomas are common central nervous system tumors.
• Benign and aggressive meningiomas exhibit distinct glucose metabolism.
• Systemic glucose metabolism's link to tumor metabolism is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between chronic systemic glycaemia and meningioma aggressiveness.
• To determine if glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels differ between benign and aggressive meningioma patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 71 patients with de novo intracranial meningiomas.
• Analysis of preoperative glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.
• Comparison of HbA1c values based on meningioma WHO grade (1 vs. 2).

Main Results:

• Patients with WHO grade 2 meningiomas had significantly higher HbA1c levels than those with grade 1.
• 26.7% of patients presented with hyperglycemia.
• A significant positive correlation was found between patient age and preoperative HbA1c levels.

Conclusions:

• Chronic hyperglycaemia, indicated by elevated HbA1c, is associated with more aggressive meningiomas.
• Older meningioma patients may have a higher risk of dysregulated glycaemia.
• Findings highlight the importance of considering glycaemic status in meningioma management, especially with corticosteroid use.