Association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Glycemic variability is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing outcomes in intensive care, yet its prognostic role remains unclear. The Hemoglobin Glycation Index (HGI), which reflects individual glycemic variation, has not been thoroughly studied in critically...

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Main Authors: Liwei Pan, Fengfeng Lu, Bihuan Cheng, Wenwu Zhang, Benji Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-025-01008-9
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author Liwei Pan
Fengfeng Lu
Bihuan Cheng
Wenwu Zhang
Benji Wang
author_facet Liwei Pan
Fengfeng Lu
Bihuan Cheng
Wenwu Zhang
Benji Wang
author_sort Liwei Pan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Glycemic variability is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing outcomes in intensive care, yet its prognostic role remains unclear. The Hemoglobin Glycation Index (HGI), which reflects individual glycemic variation, has not been thoroughly studied in critically ill populations. Aim To evaluate the association between HGI and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients using data from a large intensive care unit (ICU) cohort. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the MIMIC-IV database. The primary outcomes were 30-, 90-, and 365-day all-cause mortality; in-hospital mortality was secondary. Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox regression, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) modeling were used to assess mortality risk across HGI levels. Propensity score matching (PSM) and subgroup analyses were performed to ensure robustness. Results Among 9,695 patients, those with low HGI (< − 0.40) had significantly higher mortality (P < 0.001). RCS analysis showed a nonlinear association between HGI and 30-day mortality. Higher HGI values were independently associated with reduced risk of death at all time points, with hazard ratios ranging from 0.43 to 0.76 (P < 0.001). These associations persisted after multivariable adjustment and PSM. Subgroup analyses showed consistent results across patient characteristics. Conclusions Lower HGI values are associated with increased short- and long-term mortality in critically ill patients. HGI may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for risk stratification in ICU settings.
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spelling doaj-art-cb6fa73fea874c73b323fcd7363f5f9e2025-08-20T04:02:55ZengBMCJournal of Health, Population and Nutrition2072-13152025-07-0144111310.1186/s41043-025-01008-9Association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort studyLiwei Pan0Fengfeng Lu1Bihuan Cheng2Wenwu Zhang3Benji Wang4Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityDepartment of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityDepartment of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityDepartment of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityDepartment of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityAbstract Background Glycemic variability is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing outcomes in intensive care, yet its prognostic role remains unclear. The Hemoglobin Glycation Index (HGI), which reflects individual glycemic variation, has not been thoroughly studied in critically ill populations. Aim To evaluate the association between HGI and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients using data from a large intensive care unit (ICU) cohort. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the MIMIC-IV database. The primary outcomes were 30-, 90-, and 365-day all-cause mortality; in-hospital mortality was secondary. Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox regression, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) modeling were used to assess mortality risk across HGI levels. Propensity score matching (PSM) and subgroup analyses were performed to ensure robustness. Results Among 9,695 patients, those with low HGI (< − 0.40) had significantly higher mortality (P < 0.001). RCS analysis showed a nonlinear association between HGI and 30-day mortality. Higher HGI values were independently associated with reduced risk of death at all time points, with hazard ratios ranging from 0.43 to 0.76 (P < 0.001). These associations persisted after multivariable adjustment and PSM. Subgroup analyses showed consistent results across patient characteristics. Conclusions Lower HGI values are associated with increased short- and long-term mortality in critically ill patients. HGI may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for risk stratification in ICU settings.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-025-01008-9Hemoglobin glycation indexMortalityIntensive care unitRetrospective cohort studyRestricted cubic spline
spellingShingle Liwei Pan
Fengfeng Lu
Bihuan Cheng
Wenwu Zhang
Benji Wang
Association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study
Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition
Hemoglobin glycation index
Mortality
Intensive care unit
Retrospective cohort study
Restricted cubic spline
title Association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study
title_full Association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study
title_fullStr Association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study
title_short Association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study
title_sort association between hemoglobin glycation index and mortality in critically ill patients a retrospective cohort study
topic Hemoglobin glycation index
Mortality
Intensive care unit
Retrospective cohort study
Restricted cubic spline
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-025-01008-9
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