European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: One of the most prevalent and deadly disorders is cerebrovascular illness. The second most prevalent cause of mortality worldwide is stroke.1 It is one of the most prevalent neurologic diseases that can be fatal and devastating. Approximately 6.15 million fatalities worldwide occur each year as a result of cerebrovascular disease. According to several Indian research, the prevalence rate of stroke varies depending on the region and the time of study from 40 to 470/100000 people. In India, stroke is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity.2

Objectives:

1. To observe plasma CRP levels in acute ischemic stroke.

2. To evaluate the role of CRP as a prognostic and diagnostic aid in acute ischaemic stroke.

3. To evaluate CRP levels as a risk factor in acute ischemic stroke.

Material & Methods: Study Design: Hospital-based prospective observational study. Study area: Department of General Medicine, in a tertiary care hospital in south India. Study Period: April 2021 – March 2022. Study population:  Patients admitted with a clinically first attack of the stroke to the medical intensive care unit or acute medical ward. Sample size: The study consisted of a total of 60 cases and 60 controls. Sampling Technique:  Simple random method. Clinical history was taken from either the patient or his/ her relatives or attender, while taking history importance was given regarding the presence or absence of vomiting, headache, and convulsions. Known history of hypertension, diabetes, CAD, RHD, TIA, collagen diseases, meningitis, tuberculosis, endocrine disorders, and congenital disorders was taken. Personal history regarding dietary habits, smoking alcohol consumption, and tobacco chewing were noted. The NIH stroke scale was assessed in all patients to assess the neurological disability and its prognosis. A detailed neurological examination was done based on proforma. Results: CRP values of CT evaluated ischemic stroke patients after admission, > 12 hours < 72 hours after the symptoms onset 54 of the 60 thrombotic stroke patients had CRP >6 mg/dl only 6 patients had CRP<6mg/dl (P <0.001). The Chi-square test value was 73.65, which is statistically very significant. Only 7 patients in the control group had CRP>6mg/dl. Conclusion: In this study mean C-Reactive protein levels were significantly higher in patients with ischemic stroke when compared to controls. It is also observed that elevated C-Reactive protein in ischemic stroke can be diagnosed positively and is an indicator of a worse prognosis, but subtypes (cortical, subcortical) of cerebral infarction cannot be differentiated at the time of early diagnosis. C-Reactive protein levels were raised in all cases that expired.