Preventability of ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack in a tertiary care center in Argentina

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with many individuals presenting with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (AIS/TIA) due to underlying vascular risk factors (VRF). While these patients typically undergo routine evaluations for acute treatment, the prevention of these conditions is often underestimated. This study reports the prevalence of non-optimized VRF and estimates their degree of avoidability in a cohort of patients treated in a tertiary care center following AIS/TIA.

This retrospective study enrolled patients older than 18 years who experienced AIS/TIA over a two-year period. Preventability was defined as the degree to which an acute cerebrovascular event could have been prevented if the VRF had been appropriately treated. Using the variables determined at the onset of AIS or TIA, we developed a 10-point scale to classify the degree of preventability (not preventable [score of 0], low preventability [score of 1-3], and high preventability [score of 4 or higher]). We further defined sub-scores based on the effectiveness of treatment of high blood pressure [HBP] (0-2 points), dyslipidemia [DLP] (0-2 points), atrial fibrillation [AF] (1 point), active smoking [AS] (1 point), obesity (1 point), previous coronary heart disease [CHD] (1 point), and previous AIS/TIA (2 points). Demographic factors, etiologies, and imaging findings were evaluated, tabulated independently, and subsequently correlated with clinical findings extracted from the available patient records.

Of the 395 patients (334 with AIS and 61 with TIA), 376 (95.19 %) exhibited some degree of preventability, whereas 19 (4.81 %) presented with a nonpreventable event. In total, 296 (74.94 %) presented a low preventable event, and 80 (20.25 %) presented a high preventable event. Applying the Chi-square test of independence to stroke etiology highlighted cardio-aortic embolism and large artery atherosclerosis as groups with a significantly higher burden of risk factors necessitating intervention, while patients with stroke of other etiologies had more adequate control of VRF. In terms of stroke severity, as determined by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), patients with NIHSS scores >5 were more likely to experience preventable events. According to the ABCD2 score, higher risk scores were significantly associated with a higher preventive factor burden; however, age, sex, vascular territory, and Canadian TIA scores were not related to the prevention of AIS/TIA.

The high percentage of preventable events reflects the need to study other factors that may contribute to unhealthy lifestyles in this population. Potential reasons for poor health include high levels of stress, sleep deprivation, working conditions and an unhealthy diet. Further studies are required to better understand these phenomena.