"Hyperglycemia Increases Complications After Cardiac Surgery"

Patients without diabetes and those with diabetes not treated with insulin who experienced blood glucose levels of more than 180 mg/dL after cardiac surgery had higher hospital costs, longer hospital stays and increased complications, whereas patients with insulin-treated diabetes who experienced postsurgery hyperglycemia saw more favorable outcomes, according to new research. “The expected benefits [of lowering glucose thresholds] comprised an approximate $2,000 cost reduction and a 5% to 15% reduction in complications,” wrote lead author Giampaolo Greco, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor of population health science and policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Learn more.