Increased risk of stroke among patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. This study aimed to determine the relationship between ankylosing spondylitis and the risk of stroke.

A systematic literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were conducted from inception to December 2021 to identify relevant articles investigating the risk of stroke in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. A random-effects model (DerSimonian and Laird) was used to estimate a pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-regression based on the length of follow-up and subgroup analysis based on the type of stroke, study location, and year of publication to investigate the source of heterogeneity.

A total of eleven studies comprising 1.7 million participants were included in this study. Pooled analysis showed a significantly increased stroke risk (56%) among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (HR: 1.56, 95% CI 1.33-1.79). Subgroup analysis revealed a higher risk of ischemic stroke among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (HR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.23-1.68). However, meta-regression analysis showed no association between the duration of ankylosing spondylitis and stroke incidence (Coef=-0.0010, P=0.951).

This study reveals that ankylosing spondylitis was associated with an increased risk of suffering a stroke. Management of cerebrovascular risk factors and the control of systemic inflammation should be considered in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.