Family history of stroke and death or vascular events within one year after ischemic stroke

ABSTRACT

Background and aims: The association between family history of stroke and clinical outcomes after ischemic stroke remains unclear.

Methods: A total of 3878 acute ischemic stroke patients from CATIS were included. The participants with ischemic stroke were divided into groups according to types of family history of stroke, stroke onset age and stroke subtypes. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of death and vascular events within 1 year after stroke. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the association between family history of stroke and other variables and clinical outcomes.

Results: Among 3878 ischemic stroke patients, 708 (18.26%) had a history of stroke in their first-degree relatives and 399 experienced a composite outcome (172 patients died and 227 experienced vascular events) within 1 year after stroke. Overall family history was not associated with the primary outcome (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.37–3.19). However, the patients with maternal stroke history (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.31–2.97), stroke onset age<55 years with family history (HR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.08–3.80) and thrombotic stroke in the patients with family history (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.00–2.12) were associated with primary outcome, death and vascular events, respectively.

Conclusion: This study suggests that maternal stroke history, age<55 years at stroke onset and thrombotic stroke in the patients with a family history are associated with poor outcomes after stroke. Further studies from other samples are needed to replicate our findings due to a reason for excluding some severe stroke patients in this study.