Higher Stress Hyperglycemia Ratio Is Associated With a Higher Risk of Stroke-Associated Pneumonia

ObjectiveStroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is a frequent complication in stroke patients. This present study aimed to investigate the association between stress hyperglycemia and SAP. MethodsPatients were screened between February 2013 and August 2020 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. We divided the blood glucose of the patients at admission by the glycated hemoglobin to calculate the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the association between SAP and SHR, with the confounders being controlled. Further, subgroup analyses were separately performed for stroke patients with and without diabetes. ResultsA total of 2,039 patients were finally recruited, of which 533 (26.14%) were diagnosed with SAP. SHR were divided into four quartiles in the logistic regression analysis, the highest SHR quartile (SHR >= 1.15) indicated a higher risk of SAP (OR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.13-2.19, p = 0.01) in total patients. In patients without diabetes, the third quantile (SHR = 0.96-1.14) and the highest quantile (SHR >= 1.15) were both related to a higher risk of SAP (both p < 0.05). However, we did not find such an association in diabetic patients. ConclusionSHR was significantly associated with the risk of SAP in patients without diabetes. Adequate attention should be paid to the patients with high SHR levels at admission, especially those without diabetes.

Automated summary

This study found a significant association between stress hyperglycemia and stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) in stroke patients, particularly in those without diabetes.