(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Scientists have discovered yet another reason to curb sugar consumption: high levels of it in the blood may make recovery after spinal cord injury harder. Controlling blood sugar levels in patients with spinal cord injury could potentially help doctors prevent additional neurological deterioration. In mice models of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and in a retrospective analysis of human patients, Kazu Kobayakawa and colleagues found a link between hyperglycemia and poorer outcomes after spinal cord injury. In animals, the authors observed that high blood sugar over-activated immune cells called microglia, the main line of defense in the central nervous system. The burst of immune activity leads to increased inflammation, which makes recovery more difficult. The retrospective study, analyzing clinical data of 528 patients with spinal cord injury, revealed that showing up to the hospital with high blood glucose levels correlated with less improvement in motor ac tivity, whether or not the patients had diabetes (a condition distinct from transient hyperglycemia). Interestingly, controlling blood sugar in the mice with insulin injections prevented haywire inflammation and improved recovery. However, improvement only occurred if the insulin was given within 8 hours after injury. The results set the stage for exploring the therapeutic effects of controlling blood sugar in patients.
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