A meta‐analysis of the relationship between glycaemic variability and the mortality of patients with heart failure

Abstract

Abstract Recent findings indicate that fluctuations in blood glucose could potentially increase the risk of unfavourable outcomes in individuals with cardiovascular conditions. The objective of the research was to assess the correlation between glycaemic variability (GV) and the mortality of patients with heart failure (HF) through a comprehensive review and meta‐analysis. Longitudinal follow‐up studies comparing the mortality risk between HF patients with higher and lower GV were identified by searching Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. The results were combined using a random‐effects model that accounted for the potential variability. The meta‐analysis included nine cohort studies involving 76 843 patients diagnosed with HF, out of which 35 853 patients died within a follow‐up period of up to 86 months. The combined findings indicated that a significant increase in GV was linked to an elevated risk of mortality in patients with HF during the follow‐up period (RR 2.18, 95% CI 1.61 to 2.96, P 0.05). A high GV could be a risk factor of mortality of patients with HF.

Keywords

• Glycaemic variability
• Heart failure
• Meta‐analysis
• Mortality
• Risk factor