Impact of acute glycemic variability on short-term outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a multicenter population-based study

Abstract Background Given the increasing attention to glycemic variability (GV) and its potential implications for cardiovascular outcomes. This study aimed to explore the impact of acute GV on short-term outcomes in Chinese patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods This study enrolled 7510 consecutive patients diagnosed with acute STEMI from 274 centers in China. GV was assessed using the coefficient of variation of blood glucose levels. Patients were categorized into three groups according to GV tertiles (GV1, GV2, and GV3). The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause death, and the secondary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Cox regression analyses were conducted to determine the independent correlation between GV and the outcomes. Results A total of 7136 patients with STEMI were included. During 30-days follow-up, there was a significant increase in the incidence of all-cause death and MACEs with higher GV tertiles. The 30-days mortality rates were 7.4% for GV1, 8.7% for GV2 and 9.4% for GV3 ( p = 0.004), while the MACEs incidence rates was 11.3%, 13.8% and 15.8% for the GV1, GV2 and GV3 groups respectively ( p < 0.001). High GV levels during hospitalization were significantly associated with an increased risk of 30-day all-cause mortality and MACEs. When analyzed as a continuous variable, GV was independently associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio HR 1.679, 95% confidence Interval CI 1.005–2.804) and MACEs (HR 2.064, 95% CI 1.386–3.074). Additionally, when analyzed as categorical variables, the GV3 group was found to predict an increased risk of MACEs, irrespective of the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM). Conclusion Our study findings indicate that a high GV during hospitalization was significantly associated with an increased risk of 30-day all-cause mortality and MACE in Chinese patients with STEMI. Moreover, acute GV emerged as an independent predictor of increased MACEs risk, regardless of DM status.