Why carry out this study?

Stress hyperglycemia has been associated with poor outcome in surgical settings and in patients admitted for cardiovascular disease

The significance of stress hyperglycemia in the general population of patients admitted to a medical/geriatric department, with a high prevalence of diabetes, has never been documented

The study tested the association of stress hyperglycemia with all-cause complications, infections and non-infectious events, and deaths in consecutive patients to clarify its prognostic role

What was learned from the study?

The presence of stress hyperglycemia, particularly in subjects without known diabetes, increased complication and death rates

The study confirms the prognostic value of stress hyperglycemia at hospital admission, which might be considered a concerning signal for patients in the medical/geriatric setting