ABSTRACT: Background Dysglycemia at acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is common and is associated with mortality. Information on other outcomes is less well explored in patients without diabetes in a long-term perspective. We aimed to explore the relationship between admission glucose level and long-term outcomes in patients with AMI without diabetes in a nationwide setting. Methods and Results Patients without diabetes (n=45 468) with AMI registered in SWEDEHEART (Swedish Web-System for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies) and admission glucose ≤11 mmol/L (≤198 mg/dL) were followed for outcomes (AMI, heart failure, stroke, renal failure, and death) between 2012 and 2017 (mean follow-up time 3.3±1.7 years). The association between categorized glucose levels and outcomes was assessed in adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analyses (glucose levels 4.0-6.0 mmol/L [72-109 mg/dL] as reference). Further nonfatal complications and their associated mortality were explored (patients without events served as a reference). A glucose level of 7.8-11.0 mmol/L (140-198 mg/dL) was associated with hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio [HR] 1.40 [95% CI, 1.30-1.51], P<0.001), renal failure (1.17; 1.04-1.33, P=0.009), and death (1.31; 1.20-1.43, P<0.001), but not with recurrent myocardial infarction (0.99; 0.92-1.07, P=0.849) or stroke (1.03; 0.88-1.19, P=0.742). Renal failure had the strongest association with future mortality (age-adjusted HR 4.93 [95% CI, 4.34-5.60], P<0.001), followed by heart failure (3.71; 3.41-4.04, P<0.001), stroke (3.39; 2.94-3.91, P<0.001), and myocardial infarction (2.08; 1.88-2.30, P<0.001). Conclusions Elevated glucose levels at AMI admission identifies patients without diabetes at increased risk of long-term complications: in particular, hospitalization for heart and renal failure. These results emphasize that glucose levels at admission could be useful in risk assessment after myocardial infarction.
