Improved Systemic Inflammation is Associated with Functional Prognosis in Post-Stroke Patients

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Immunology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Systemic inflammation is linked to poor functional outcomes post-stroke.
• The impact of inflammation reduction on functional indicators in stroke survivors is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between improvements in systemic inflammation and activities of daily living in post-stroke patients.
• To clarify the relationship between reduced inflammation and functional recovery after stroke.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 158 post-stroke patients with systemic inflammation (modified Glasgow Prognostic Score [mGPS] 1-2).
• Systemic inflammation improvement defined by reduced mGPS or C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.
• Functional Independence Measure (FIM-motor) scores at discharge were the primary outcome, analyzed using multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

• 82.9% and 93.0% of patients showed reduced mGPS and CRP levels, respectively.
• Improvements in mGPS (β=0.125, p=0.012) and CRP (β=0.108, p=0.108) were independently associated with higher FIM-motor scores at discharge.
• The median CRP reduction was 2.1 mg/dL.

Conclusions:

• Improvement in systemic inflammation is positively linked to better functional outcomes in stroke patients.
• Early detection and treatment of systemic inflammation may enhance recovery and functional status in this population.