Moderate-to-severe hypoglycemia is tied to an increased risk for death among patients in the ICU, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

As part of the NICE-SUGAR trial, roughly 6000 ICU patients were randomized to intensive or conventional glucose control. Nearly half of all patients experienced moderate hypoglycemia (41–70 mg/dL), and 4% had severe hypoglycemia (40 mg/dL or less); the majority of these patients were in the intensive control group. The primary outcome — death within 90 days — was more frequent among those with severe hypoglycemia (35%) or moderate hypoglycemia (29%) than among those with no hypoglycemia (24%).

The authors conclude that “it would seem prudent to ensure that strategies for managing the blood glucose concentration in critically ill patients focus not only on the control of hyperglycemia but also on avoidance of both moderate and severe hypoglycemia.”

Source: NEJM