C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, lipoprotein (a), and lipid profile levels and platelet counts in ischemic stroke patients

Objective: To ascertain the most prevalent risk factor forstroke.Methods: We performed a descriptive and analyticalprospective study on patients with stroke admitted to theneurology wards of Imam Hospital, Tabriz, Iran during2004 and 2005. The study comprised 100 ischemic stroke(IS) patients consisting of 46 men and 54 women with amean age of 67 ± 15, and 100 age and gender matchedapparently healthy subjects. Plasma levels of C-Reactiveprotein (CRP), fibrinogen, platelet counts, lipoprotein(a) (LP (a)), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), totalcholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) were measuredin both patients and controls. Background disease wasalso investigated in the patients. Hemorrhagic andembolic stroke patients were excluded from the study.Results: We found no significant difference in serumfibrinogen, HDL-c levels, and platelet counts betweenpatients and control subjects, however, levels of LP(a), TG, LDH-c, and CRP were significantly higherin patients than controls. Among the predisposingbackground illnesses, the most common risk factorswere hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The frequency ofstudied risk factors among patients was: no risk factors(20%), one risk factor (32%), 2 risk factors (36%), and3 risk factors (12%).Conclusion: Hypertension was the most prevalentbackground disease in IS patients. We also found thatalthough there is close relationship in the incidence ofIS with levels of LP (a), TC, TG, LDL-c, and CRP, thecutoff point frequency of fibrinogen, CRP, LP (a), andplatelet counts was variable from patient to patient.