Correlation analysis of serum cholinesterase levels and early neurological deterioration

This study aims to evaluate the effect of serum cholinesterase (CHE) levels on early neurological deterioration (END) in patients with mild anterior circulation stroke.

We conducted a retrospective case-control study in the Neurology Department of Jiangsu Taizhou People's Hospital from July 2018 to June 2023. A total of 334 patients with mild anterior circulation ischemic stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] ≤5 points) admitted within 24 h were included. Patients were classified into an END group and a non-END group according to the occurrence of END, and binary logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) across serum CHE quintiles.

A statistically significant difference and a clear linear trend (p < 0.05) were identified after adjusting for multiple confounding factors, indicating a protective effect of elevated CHE levels against END. Age stratified analysis was limited by reduced sample sizes and insufficient statistical power to detect potential subgroup differences.

In this retrospective case-control study, the END group had a significantly higher incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and lower CHE levels than the non-END group. The findings indicate an inverse association between CHE levels and the risk of END.