Admission markers predict lacunar and non-lacunar stroke in young patients

Stroke in young adults is an important cause of lifelong morbidity. The aim of this study was to explore some possible admission indicator of subsequent lacunar or non-lacunar strokes. We enrolled 626 patients with the first young cerebral strokes and divided them into lacunar and non-lacunar stroke based on clinical presentation and neuroradiological findings; and the analyses were adjusted for the effects of potential confounders. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, cerebral vascular moyamoya malformation were significantly more frequent in non-lacunar patients than lacunar patients (respectively P=0.005, 0.048, 0.000, 0.015, 0.030). Serum BUN, Triglyceride, Cholesterol, HDL, UA, White cell count, Fibrinogen, INR and bilirubin (including Total bilirubin, Direct bilirubin, Indirect bilirubin) levels on admission were higher in non-lacunar strokes than in lacunar strokes. Serum white blood cell count (Odds Ratio 1.097; 95% Confidence Interval 1.006-1.195, P=0.035), lower high-density lipoprotein levels (defined as HDL<0.9 mmol/L) (Odds Ratio 1.884; 95% Confidence Interval 1.035-3.285, P=0.038) and serum total bilirubin (Odds Ratio 1.054; 95% Confidence Interval 1.019-1.091, P=0.003) were associated with increased risk for non-lacunar stroke, whereas lacunar stroke was related to age at onset (Odds Ratio 0.929; 95% Confidence Interval 0.888-0.972, P=0.001) and SUA (Odds Ratio 0.997; 95% Confidence Interval 0.995-0.999, P=0.015). The excess risks were blood WBC, lower HDL and total bilirubin levels for non-lacunar strokes, and serum UA and age at onset for lacunar strokes in young Chinese patients.