Extremes of Glycemic Control (HbA1c) Increase Hospitalization Risk in Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients in the USA

Background/Aims: Because the relation between glycemic control and clinical outcomes found in the general diabetic population has not been established in diabetic hemodialysis patients, we evaluated the association between glycemic control and hospitalization risk. Methods: We performed a primary retrospective data analysis on 23,829 hemodialysis patients with diabetes mellitus. Hemoglobin A(1c) at baseline and hospitalization events over the subsequent 12 months were analyzed and logistic regression models constructed for unadjusted, case mix-adjusted and case mix plus lab-adjusted data. Models were also constructed for cardiovascular, vascular access and sepsis hospitalizations. Results: Eighty percent had type 2DM, 5% type 1 and 14% not specified. The groups had similar mean HbA(1c) levels, 6.8 +/- 1.6%. Among all patients, the mean HbA(1c) values were > 7% in 35%. The odds ratio of hospitalizations grouped by baseline HbA(1c) was significant at extremes of < 5% and > 11%. Similar relationships were evident for the subset of type 2DM and in the analysis for hospitalizations due to sepsis. Conclusion: Extremely high and low HbA(1c) values are associated with hospitalization risk in diabetic hemodialysis patients. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether meeting recommended HbA(1c) targets might improve outcomes without posing additional risks in this population. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel