Intra-individual association between C-reactive protein and insulin administration in postoperative lumbar spinal canal stenosis patients: A retrospective cohort study.

The association of intra-individual variability in insulin requirements with C-reactive protein levels among acute phase patients remains unclear. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate this association. Patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal canal stenosis were included in the study. We analyzed 286 records of 49 patients using the linear mixed effects model. The model showed C-reactive protein levels to be significantly associated with insulin requirements, with an effect size of 0.60 U/day for an elevation of 1 mg/dL. The effect size was increased in patients with higher hemoglobin A1c levels. Our findings imply that C-reactive protein levels could be a useful clinical biomarker when blood glucose levels are controlled in acute phase patients.