Timing Matters: Early Insulin Therapy Reduces Mortality in ICU Patients with Moderate Hyperglycemia

Early insulin therapy within 6 hours of moderate hyperglycemia onset reduces 30-day mortality by 2.3% compared to delayed or no treatment in ICU patients.
Initiating insulin within 1 to 2 hours following hyperglycemia yields markedly greater absolute mortality reductions, up to 7.7 percentage points.
These findings, derived from a real-world target trial emulation of 5,755 ICU patients, underscore the importance of timely glucose control interventions in critical care.
Mortality benefits varied across subgroups, suggesting potential patient-specific factors influence insulin therapy effectiveness.