The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the incidence of stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Studies that reported SIH incidence in AIS and examined risk factors for SIH and non-SIH patients were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from the inception of each database to December 2021. Article screening and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and meta-analysis was performed using Stata. A total of 13 studies involving 4552 patients (977 in the SIH group and 3575 in the non-SIH group) were included. Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of SIH was 24% (95% CI: 21-27%) in the total population, 33% (14-52%) in North America, 25% (20-29%) in Europe, and 21% (12-29%) in Asia. Subgroup analysis by year of publication revealed that the pooled incidence of SIH was 27% (22-32%) in studies published before 2010 and 19% (14-24%) in those published after 2010. SIH is relatively common in AIS and poses a serious public health problem. Therefore, more emphasis should be placed on the prevention and control of SIH in AIS.
Keywords: acute ischemic stroke; incidence; meta-analysis; stress-induced hyperglycemia; systematic review.