Introduction:

Evidence shows that glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) is associated with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, reports in Latin-American patients are scarce.

Objective:

To determine if HbA1C is a risk factor for ICH.

Methods:

A case-control study was carried out. Cases were hospitalized patients with ICH, whereas the controls were diabetic patients within the same age range. Logistics regression was calculated to identify risk factors associated with ICH.

Results:

A total of 45 cases and 45 controls were included. HbA1C values were higher in the ICH group (median 6.8%, IQR=5.8-7.5) compared to the control group (median 5.8%, IQR=5.5-6.2%; P<0.001). High HbA1C values were identified as a risk factor for ICH (OR=2.75, 95% CI=1.41-5.41). Among the ICH patients, barely 29% had a confirmed previous diagnosis of diabetes. The hospital mortality rate in the ICH patients was 37.8%, while mortality was 15% in the patients with diabetes and 46% in those without a previous diabetes diagnosis.

Conclusions:

High HbA1C levels were associated with the development of ICH. It is paramount to improve public policies for early detection of diabetes due to the potential to reduce the impact of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in the general population.