Usefulness of inflammatory and haemostatic markers to predict short-term risk for death in middle-aged ischaemic stroke patients

Objectives – There is increasing evidence that inflammation and hypercoagulability play an important role in the pathophysiology of acute ischaemic stroke. We examined the in‐hospital prognostic value on mortality of C‐reactive protein (CRP), tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐alpha), fibrinogen and D‐dimer in middle‐aged ischaemic stroke patients. Materials and methods – We recruited 231 consecutive patients 18 mg/l and fibrinogen levels >490 mg/dl were the optimal points that discriminated those who died from the rest. Conclusions – CRP and fibrinogen levels can predict independently the risk of early death in middle‐aged ischaemic stroke patients emphasizing the role of inflammation and coagulation in the evolution of ischaemic stroke.