Research

Hormonal

Tight glucose control (targeting 4.4-6.1 mmol/L) increases mortality in critically ill patients compared to a less strict target (less than 10 mmol/L), and optimal targets may vary based on diabetes status.

Do not use tight glucose control (targeting 4.4-6.1 mmol/L) in critically ill patients. Instead, aim for a less strict target (less than 10 mmol/L) to avoid the increased mortality risk associated with tight control. Consider individualizing targets based on diabetes status.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
The largest trial, NICE-SUGAR, showed increased 90-day mortality with TGC compared to a target of less than 10 mmol/L... reduced mortality was observed with blood glucose between 80 and 140 mg/dl in non-diabetic patients and 110-180 mg/dl in diabetic patients.
Yaseen M. Arabi et al. · Intensive Care Medicine · 2017

Why this rating

Supported by the large NICE-SUGAR trial and other RCTs.

Source

The intensive care medicine research agenda in nutrition and metabolism

Yaseen M. Arabi et al. · Intensive Care Medicine · 2017

DOI 10.1007/s00134-017-4711-6

narrative_reviewCited 209×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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