Anti-inflammatory effects of insulin and pro-inflammatory effects of glucose: Relevance to the management of acute myocardial infarction and other acute coronary syndromes

Hyperglycemia worsens morbidity and mortality for patients in intensive care or with acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or coronary artery bypass grafts. The control of hyperglycemia with insulin improves clinical outcomes for patients with these conditions. This article reviews the anti-inflammatory effects of insulin and proinflammatory effects of glucose and free fatty acids, and provides a mechanistic justification for maintaining euglycemia with insulin infusions. Hyperglycemia induced by infusions of a fixed dose of insulin with high rates of glucose may neutralize the benefit of insulin, and such regimens should be replaced by infusion of insulin to restore and maintain euglycemia.