Hyperglycemia as a prognostic factor for in-hospital complications in ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction

Introduction: Mortality and complications remains high in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients despite newer reperfusion techniques were being introduced. Hyperglycemia has been described in several studies as a risk factor and worse prognosis. Objective: To demonstrate the importance of hyperglycemia as a risk factor for in-hospital complications in ST-segment elevation AMI. Methods: Analytical, longitudinal and prospective cohort study, from 2013 to 2017, which included 307 consecutive patients who were admitted to the Intensive Coronary Care Unit of the Hospital Militar Central Dr. Carlos J. Finlay, with an ST-segment elevation AMI diagnosis.. Results: Mean age was 63.8 +/- 11.8 years and the male sex prevailed (61.8%). The main risk factors were high blood pressure and smoking. Of all patients, 119 (38.8%) suffered in-hospital complications. Age >= 60 years, Killip-Kimball functional class >= II non-performance of percutaneous coronary intervention and hospital stay were independent prognostic factors of adverse events during admission. Fasting hyperglycemia was shown as an independent predictor of complications from binary logistic regression (p=0.0035, beta =0.2971). Conclusions: Hyperglycemia, measured through fasting blood glucose, is an independent predictor of in-hospital complications in patients with ST-segment elevation AMI.