CORRELATION OF STRESS HYPERGLYCEMIA RATIO WITH SEVERITY AND SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES IN ACUTE STROKE PATIENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65605/a-jmrhs.2026.v04.i02.pp587-592Keywords:
1Junior Resident, Department of Internal Medicine, MGM Medical College, Indore, M.P.Abstract
Background: Stress hyperglycemia is a common metabolic response in acute stroke and is associated with poor neurological outcomes. Conventional glucose measurements often fail to differentiate acute stress-induced hyperglycemia from chronic glycemic status. Stress Hyperglycemia Ratio (SHR), derived from admission glucose and HbA1c, has emerged as a more reliable prognostic biomarker in acute stroke patients. Aim: To evaluate the correlation between Stress Hyperglycemia Ratio and severity of stroke along with short-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute stroke. Materials and Methods: This hospital-based observational study was conducted in the Department of General Medicine, M.G.M. Medical College and M.Y. Hospital, Indore, among 238 patients diagnosed with acute stroke. Clinical severity was assessed using Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). SHR was calculated using admission blood glucose and HbA1c-derived estimated average glucose. Outcomes during hospitalization were categorized as improvement, no change, deterioration, or death. Statistical analysis was done by appropriate statistical software. Results: The mean age of study participants was 56.4 years and males constituted 66.4% of the cohort. Most patients had ischemic stroke (89.5%). SHR showed a statistically significant positive correlation with NIHSS score (r = 0.164, p = 0.011). Higher SHR values were associated with poor clinical outcomes including deterioration and mortality (r = -0.352, p <0.0001). Patients who deteriorated had the highest mean SHR (1.50), while those who improved had the lowest mean SHR (1.26). Conclusion: Stress Hyperglycemia Ratio appears to be a useful prognostic biomarker in acute stroke patients. Elevated SHR is associated with increased stroke severity and worse short-term outcomes. SHR may serve as a practical and cost-effective tool for early risk stratification and prognostication in acute stroke management.
