Potential Risk Factors for Stroke

Launched by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS) · Nov 3, 1999

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Preliminary studies indicate that activation of the immune system by risk factors for stroke (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and age) increases the risk of atherosclerosis and the formation of intravascular thrombosis. By measuring the levels of cytokine and leukocyte activation in the stroke prone population and age matched controls without risk factors, an attempt will be made to characterize those factors which potentially increase the risk for carotid atherosclerosis and subsequent cerebral infarctions.

A total of one hundred twenty subjects with risk factors for stroke a...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • Male or female greater than 18 years of age.
• • Patient must have documented hypertension (diastolic BP greater than 90 mmHg or systolic BP greater than 140 mmHg) for greater than 1 year OR hypercholesterolemia (LDL greater than 160 or total Chol greater than 240 with a total cholesterol/HDL-Chol ratio more than 1.6 for greater that 1 year OR Diabetes (blood glucose greater than 150 mg/dl requiring oral antihyperglycemics or insulin dependent) for greater than 1 year OR any combination.
• • Subgroup eligibility for risk factors with cerebral ischemic events must meet criteria #2 plus documented stroke by physical exam and CT and/or MRI consistent with ischemic infarction or TIA witnessed and recorded by medical personnel.
• • Patient will be excluded if enrollment time is within 30 days of a stroke, myocardial infarction, or surgery. Patient may be enrolled after 30 days of the above events.
• • No patients on immunosuppressive therapy.
• • No patients who are unable to follow up for 1 year from the time of enrollment.
• • No stroke patients with an identifiable cardiac source (including atrial fibrillation, mural thrombus, valvular disease with vegetation).