Analysis of cardiovascular risk factors in the stroke code. An approach in advanced ages

e202302011

Abstract

BACKGROUND // The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in 153 patients who had suffered a stroke in the province of Ourense and where the stroke code had been activated.Its realization is part of the purpose of the authors to influence chronic pathology to prevent this specific event.
METHODS // A longitudinal, retrospective and observational study was applied to 153 patients with a mean age of 76±12 years who had presented some type of stroke. The independent variables were classified as quantitative (international normalized ratio [INR], blood pressure and glycemia) and in qualitative (atrial fibrillation [AF], consumption of anticoagulants [ACO], smoking and blood lipid levels). The dependent variables were the type of stroke, the affected artery, and patient mortality after thirty days, six months, and one year. For the qualitative variables, the non-parametric verification method of Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) and Mann-Whitney (M-W) was used for comparison of means and for Chi-square association.
RESULTS // INR was associated with the type of event and mortality at six and twelve months (p<0,001). Glycemia was related in a statistically significant way both with the type of event, the affected artery and with mortality in the three periods. Both AF and OACs were associated with the type of event and the artery affected, the latter also with one-year mortality. Age was related to mortality in the three periods without becoming significant at thirty days. Being a man could be a risk factor for thirty -day mortality (OR>1) and being a woman for one-year mortality. Regarding the type of intervention performed, undergoing fibrinolysis or thrombectomy increased the risk of mortality compared to combined treatment, the relationship between thrombectomy and increased mortality being statistically significant exclusively in the six-month period.
CONCLUSIONS // According to the results obtained, the prevention of cerebrovascular events and secondary mortality should focus mainly on high blood glucose levels, the consumption of anticoagulants, INR, and the presence of AF as cardiovascular risk factors. Studies with a larger sample size are needed to establish if there really is an impact on mortality based on sex, as well as to determine with greater certainty if habits such as smoking, poor diet and other factors play a relevant role.