The prognostic importance of plasma glucose levels and of the use of oral hypoglycemic drugs after myocardial infarction in men.

The relationship of plasma glucose levels to risk of death over a five-year follow-up period was studied in 2,770 male survivors of myocardial infarction in the placebo group of the Coronary Drug Project (CDP). In univariate analyses, a positive association was observed between mortality rates and both fasting and one-hour glucose levels. After adjustment for 38 other baseline characteristics, the strengths of these relationship were substantially diminished; however, an increased mortality persisted in patients with fasting glucose levels larger than or equal to 140 mg./dl. after adjustment for other risk variables. There exists some evidence of an increased mortality risk in users of oral hypoglycemic (OH) agents over that of nonusers at baseline in men with elevated baseline glucose levels. However, the results must be interpreted with great caution both because they are of only borderline statistical significance and also because various factors not recorded in the CDP might have influenced the results.