Relationship Between Atrial Fibrillation and Controlling Nutritional Status Score in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

To determine the relationship between nutritional status evaluated via the COntrolling NUTritional Status (CONUT) score and in-hospital mortality in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

Observational study.

Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences, Sancaktepe Sehit Prof. Ilhan Varank Training and Research Hospital, Turkey, between September 2019 and January 2022.

Four hundred and seventy-one consecutive patients with AIS (age 18-90 years) were retrospectively enrolled. Exclusion criteria were age under 18 years, changes in inflammatory or immune markers other than a cerebrovascular event (e.g., autoimmune diseases, sepsis, trauma, recent major surgery, active malignancy), glomerular filtration rate <30 ml/min, severe hepatic failure, receiving thrombolytic therapy, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), and pregnancy. After the exclusion of patients, 400 of cases were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups: CONUT <2, group 1 included 262 patients; CONUT ≥2, group 2 included 138 patients. The presence of chronic AF and its relationship with CONUT were also evaluated.

Group 2 (18, 12.3%) exhibited higher in-hospital mortality than group 1 (12, 4.7%), (p=0.006). In addition, group 2 had higher chronic AF rates. Chronic AF was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in group 2 (p= 0.026).

AIS patients with CONUT score>2 may have a greater in-hospital mortality. Chronic AF may be used as one of the predictors of in-hospital mortality in AIS patients with higher CONUT.

Malnutrition, Atrial fibrillation, Stroke.