Risk factors of stroke after minor stroke

The authors looked at risk factors associated with a higher chance of recurring stroke for patients who have had a minor stroke. They concluded that patients with less severe initial stroke, heart disease, multiple blocked blood vessels or a blocked artery are at a higher risk of recurring stroke.

Patients who have had minor strokes generally do not undergo treatments to dissolve blood clots. As a result, a large number of these patients experience recurrent stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA – caused by a temporary blood clot) in the months following minor stroke. There is limited data that identifies the risk factors for recurring stroke in patients who have had a minor stroke. While the risk factors for recurring stroke after TIA have been identified, these are not the same as in minor stroke patients.

The study included a total of 863 patients who presented to hospital with minor stroke. 820 patients were available for follow-up after 1 year. From these, 27 patients had a stroke and 23 patients had a TIA within 1 year after minor stroke.

There were several risk factors associated with a higher risk of recurring stroke or TIA after minor stroke. Patients who initially presented with a lower NIHSS score (score that measures stroke severity) had a 75% higher risk of recurring stroke. Patients with either a history of coronary heart disease or who had multiple cerebral infarcts (blocked blood vessels in the brain) had 2.6 times the risk of recurring stroke. Patients with severe stenosis (blocked artery in the brain) had 4.7 times the risk of recurring stroke.

The authors concluded that minor stroke patients with less severe stroke scores, histories of coronary heart disease, multiple blocked vessels in the brain or a blocked artery in the brain are at a greater risk of recurring stroke or TIA within 1 year after minor stroke.