Association Between Hemoglobin A1C and the Severity of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Sudanese Patients in Omdurman Military Hospital

Background: Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels are known to be linked to a higher risk of stroke. However, no research data is available on the impact of HbA1C on the severity of acute ischemic stroke in Sudan. Methods: This study is a descriptive, cross-sectional hospital-based study of 40 cases of acute ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke was confirmed using computed tomography (CT) scan at admission; all subjects’ blood HbA1C levels were also measured. Participants were divided into two subgroups based on HbA1C at admission, good glycemic control (GGC) (7 HbA1C), and neurological impairment was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Results: The age distribution of the participants was 45-85 years, with an average age of 63.5±9.2 years with the highest frequency (67.5%) in the age group of 55-75 years. PGC had a statistically significant high HbA1C value of 8.9±1.3 (P=0.000), when compared to GGC subgroups 5.1±0. The association between stroke severity and HbA1C levels on admission in this study was statistically significant (P value=0.005), on admission (78.6%) PGC had moderate to severe stroke (> 18.8 NIHSS) versus (33.3%) that of the GGC (>10.4NIHSS). The frequency of elevated HbA1C levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke was 70% in this study. Conclusion: PGC was shown to be linked to the occurrence of stroke and to its severity.