Through the 1990s convincing evidence emerged from studies involving relatively recent onset diabetes that glycemic control achieving glycated hemoglobin A1c levels of approximately 7% was associated with improved microvascular outcomes. Based on advocacy groups' statements encouraging lower targets and recognition of cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in diabetes, the Action ...

The vascular complications of diabetes significantly impact the quality of life and mortality in diabetic patients. Extensive evidence from various human clinical trials has clearly established that a period of poor glycemic control early in the disease process carries negative consequences, such as an increase in the development and progression of vascular complications that becomes evident ma...

Currently, the major issue in glycemic control in neurocritical care patients is that tight glycemic control (target range of 80 to 110 mg/dL) using intensive insulin therapy is associated with higher rates of hypoglycemia without an improvement in survival rate. The review by Kramer and colleagues in this issue of Critical Care confirms these data but provides solid evidence about the relation...

Tight glycemic control has engendered large numbers of investigations, with conflicting results. The world has largely embraced intensive insulin as a practice, but applies this therapy with great variability in the manner of glucose control and measurement. The present commentary reviews what we actually know with certainty from this vast sea of literature, and what we can expect looking forward.

OBJECTIVE To investigate glycemic dynamics and its relation with mortality in critically ill patients. We searched for differences in complexity of the glycemic profile between survivors and nonsurvivors in patients admitted to a multidisciplinary intensive care unit. DESIGN Prospective, observational study, convenience sample. SETTINGS Multidisciplinary intensive care unit of a teaching ho...

BACKGROUND Whether an insulin infusion should be used for tight control of hyperglycemia in critically ill children remains unclear. METHODS We randomly assigned children (≤16 years of age) who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) and were expected to require mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs for at least 12 hours to either tight glycemic control, with a target b...