Risk of COVID-related stroke highest soon after diagnosis
Older COVID-19 patients face the greatest stroke risk within the first three days of diagnosis, according to new data to be presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2022.
“Stroke following the diagnosis of COVID-19 is a possible complication of COVID-19 that patients and clinicians should be aware of,” lead author Quanhe Yang, PhD, senior scientist with the CDC’s division for heart disease and stroke prevention, said in a prepared statement. “Vaccination and other preventive measures for COVID-19 are important to reduce the risk of infection and complications including stroke.”
Yang et al. focused on ischemic stroke risk by tracking data from more than 37,000 COVID-19 patients. All patients were Medicare beneficiaries 65 years old or older and received a diagnosis from April 2020 to February 2021.
The average patient age at diagnosis was 80 years old. Fifty-seven percent of patients were women. More than 75% of patients were non-Hispanic white, more than 10% were non-Hispanic Black and less than 10% were Hispanic.
During those first three days after a COVID-19 diagnosis, the risk of stroke was 10 times higher than during the study’s control period. From days four through seven, the risk of stroke was still 60% higher than the control period. Even from days eight to 14, the risk was still 44% higher than during the control period.
Patients between the ages of 65 and 74, the authors added, faced a higher risk of COVID-related stroke than older patients included in the analysis.
“These findings can inform diagnosis, treatment and care of stroke among patients with COVID-19,” Yang said.
The International Stroke Conference 2022 is scheduled to run from Feb. 8 to Feb. 11. More information is available here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.