Association between stress hyperglycemia ratio and prognosis in acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Stress hyperglycemia is a relatively transient increase in blood glucose in response to inflammation of the body and neurohormonal disorders. It is still debated whether stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) in the acute phase, a new indicator of stress hyperglycemia, is related to poor prognosis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. This meta-analysis provides insight into the connection between SHR and prognosis in AIS patients. Methods We screened all potentially relevant studies using a comprehensive database search. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were utilized to investigate the relationship between SHR in the acute phase and the prognosis of AIS. Results The pooled results revealed that AIS patients with poor prognoses had significantly higher SHR values than those with good prognoses (SMD = 0.56, 95%CI: 0.37–0.75, p <0.001). Subgroup analysis indicated that study design and differences in post-stroke treatment might be the sources of heterogeneity in this meta-analysis. Conclusions High SHR in the acute period is related to poor prognosis after AIS. SHR may be a new predictor of poor outcomes in AIS patients.