Prior Stroke in PFO Patients Is Associated With Both PFO-Related and -Unrelated Factors

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiology
• Vascular Medicine

Background:

• Cryptogenic stroke (CS) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) are common in younger stroke patients.
• Identifying factors associated with prior stroke in this population is crucial for risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with a history of prior stroke in patients presenting with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale.
• To develop a predictive model for prior stroke in this patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of data from the International PFO Consortium Study.
• Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations between PFO-related and unrelated factors and prior stroke.
• A nomogram was developed to visualize the predictive strength of identified factors.

Main Results:

• Age, BMI, hypercholesterolemia, and right-to-left shunt (RLS) at rest were significantly associated with prior stroke.
• Odds ratios indicated a strong association for hypercholesterolemia (OR 1.90) and RLS (OR 1.88).
• The developed nomogram effectively illustrates the relationship between these factors and prior stroke likelihood.

Conclusions:

• Prior stroke in patients with CS and PFO is associated with a combination of PFO-related and PFO-unrelated factors.
• These findings can aid in identifying patients at higher risk for recurrent stroke.
• Further research may refine risk prediction models for this population.