Popis: |
Background Specific clinical risk factors may contribute to worsening or improving neurological functions in an acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patient pre-treated with a cholesterol reducer with a subsequent recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) treatment. We investigated clinical risk factors associated with good or poor presenting neurological symptoms in ischemic stroke patients with prior cholesterol reducer use, specifically a statin and rtPA therapy.Methods We retrospectively analyzed baseline clinical and demographic data of 630 patients with AIS taking cholesterol reducers prior to rtPA treatment from January 2010 to June 2016 in a regional stroke center. Progressing (NIHSS ≤ 7) or worsening (NIHSS > 7) scores for neurologic improvement determined measures for treatment outcome. Multivariate logistic regression models identified demographic and clinical factors associated with worsening or progressing neurologic functions.Results Adjusted multivariate analysis showed that in an ischemic stroke population with a combined rtPA and cholesterol reducer medication history, increasing age (OR = 1.032, 95% CI, 1.015-1.048, P < 0.001) and atrial fibrillation (OR = 1.859, 95% CI, 1.098-3.149, P = 0.021) demonstrated a likely association with worsening neurologic functions, while direct admission (OR = 0.411, 95% CI, 0.246-0.686, P = 0.001) and being Caucasian (OR = 0.496, 95% CI, 0.297-0.827, P = 0.007) showed an association with improving or progressing neurologic functions.Conclusion A prior cholesterol reducer, namely a statin, plus rtPA combination may be associated with worsening neurological function for elderly AIS patients with atrial fibrillation, while Caucasians directly admitted to a neurology unit are more likely to show an association with progress or improvements in neurologic functions. |