The predictive value of red cell distribution width for stroke severity and outcome

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Hematology

Background:

• Red cell distribution width (RDW) is an indicator of red blood cell size variation.
• Elevated RDW has been associated with various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between RDW and stroke severity and outcomes.
• To determine if RDW can predict outcomes in patients receiving tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) therapy.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study including 282 stroke patients treated with tPA.
• Patients categorized based on RDW levels (<12.9% and >13%).
• Stroke severity assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at 36 hours and 7 days.
• Functional outcome evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in mean 36-hour NIHSS between normal RDW (8.19±8.2) and high RDW (9.94±8.28) groups (p=0.64).
• No significant difference in 7-day NIHSS between normal RDW (6.46±7.28) and high RDW (8.52±8.35) groups (p=0.058).
• No significant difference in 36-hour, 7-day, or 3-month mRS scores between RDW groups.

Conclusions:

• RDW levels do not appear to be associated with stroke severity in patients treated with tPA.
• RDW is not a significant predictor of functional outcome at 3 months post-tPA therapy.