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Updated: May 2, 2026
Remote Limb Ischemic Preconditioning: A Neuroprotective Technique in Rodents
Published on: June 2, 2015
Remote Ischemic Conditioning With Medical Management or Reperfusion Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic
Qi Li1, Jinxiu Guo1, Hui-Sheng Chen1
1From the Department of Neurology (Q.L., X.F., B.J., B.L., M.Y., Z.Q., Y.D.), The 903rd Hospital of The Chinese People's Liberation Army, Hangzhou; Intensive Care Unit of Department of Neurology (J.G.), Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital; Department of Neurology (H.-S.C.), General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, China; Department of Neurology (R.A.B.), Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Neurology (D.C.H.), Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta; Neurology and Stroke Center (F.P.), Versailles Mignot Hospital, Paris, France; Department of Neurology (P.K.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Department of Medicine and Neurology (B.C.V.C.), Melbourne Brain Centre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Boston Medical Center (M.A., T.N.N.), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, MA; Department of Neurology (J.L.S.), University of California in Los Angeles; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery (R.G.N.), University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA; Department of Neurology (H.S.), Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou; and Department of Neurology (Q.Y.), Xinqiao Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Background And Objectives:
Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a low-cost, accessible, and noninvasive neuroprotective treatment strategy, but its efficacy and safety in acute ischemic stroke are controversial. With the publication of several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the recent results of the RESIST trial, it may be possible to identify the patient population that may (or may not) benefit from RIC. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of RIC in patients with ischemic stroke receiving different treatments by pooling data of all randomized controlled studies to date.
Methods:
We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Elsevier, and Web of Science databases to obtain articles in all languages from inception until May 25, 2023. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at the specified endpoint time in the trial. The secondary outcomes were change in NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and recurrence of stroke events. The safety outcomes were cardiovascular events, cerebral hemorrhage, and mortality. The quality of articles was evaluated through the Cochrane risk assessment tool. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023430073).
Results:
There were 7,657 patients from 22 RCTs included. Compared with the control group, patients who received RIC did not have improved mRS functional outcomes, regardless of whether they received medical management, reperfusion therapy with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), or mechanical thrombectomy (MT). In the medical management group, patients who received RIC had decreased incidence of stroke recurrence (risk ratio 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.92, p = 0.02) and lower follow-up NIHSS score by 1.72 points compared with the control group (p < 0.00001). There was no increased risk of adverse events including death or cerebral hemorrhage in the IVT or medical management group.
Discussion:
In patients with ischemic stroke who are not eligible for reperfusion therapy, RIC did not affect mRS functional outcomes but significantly improved the NIHSS score at the follow-up endpoint and reduced stroke recurrence, without increasing the risk of cerebral hemorrhage or death. In patients who received IVT or MT, the benefit of RIC was not observed.
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