Cirrhosis Is an Independent Risk Factor for Mortality in Ischemic Stroke-A Nationwide Analysis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hepatology
• Public Health

Background:

• Ischemic stroke is a major cause of global cardiovascular mortality.
• Liver cirrhosis is increasingly linked to stroke occurrence and severity.
• The impact of cirrhosis on stroke mortality requires further investigation for risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for mortality in ischemic stroke patients.
• To compare mortality outcomes between ischemic stroke patients with and without liver cirrhosis.
• To inform risk stratification and early recognition of high-risk individuals.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study using the National Inpatient Sample database (2021).
• Comparison of ischemic stroke patients with and without liver cirrhosis.
• Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess outcomes.

Main Results:

• Included 536,199 ischemic stroke discharges; 4,464 had liver cirrhosis.
• Cirrhosis patients were younger (mean age 67) and predominantly male (58.2%).
• In-hospital mortality was 7% in cirrhosis patients vs. 4.2% in non-cirrhosis patients, with cirrhosis associated with 69% higher mortality risk (OR=1.69, p<0.001) after adjustment.

Conclusions:

• Liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for mortality in hospitalized ischemic stroke patients.
• Proactive management of liver cirrhosis is essential in stroke care and prevention.
• Integrating cirrhosis management may improve outcomes for this high-risk population.