Clinical nutrition : official journal of the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
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Diabetes is a significant risk factor for surgical complications and also increases the prevalence of comorbidities, thereby increasing surgical risk. The aim of this systematic review was to establish the relationship between long-term preoperative glycemic control as measured by HbA1c and postoperative complications. ⋯ Elevated preoperative HbA1c was not definitively associated with increased postoperative morbidity or mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. The studies included in this review were relatively heterogeneous, predominantly retrospective, and often contained small patient numbers, suggesting that good quality evidence is necessary.