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A new paper published in Stroke, the American Heart Association’s journal, shows a low risk of stroke in patients hospitalised for Covid-19. These findings come after initial reports had suggested a significant risk of stroke in patients hospitalised with Covid-19. The study was conducted by researchers from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Among the afflicted patients, the majority had existing risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
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Researchers found that 2.4% of patients had an ischemic stroke—the most common type of stroke, typically caused by a blood clot in the brain. Importantly, the majority of these stroke patients had existing risk factors, such as high blood pressure (95%) and a history of diabetes (60%), and traditional stroke mechanisms, such as heart failure.
Additionally, over one-third had a history of a previous stroke.
“While there was initial concern for a high number of strokes related to Covid-19, that has not been borne out. Importantly, while the risk for stroke in Covid-19 patients is low, it’s mostly tied to pre-existing conditions—so physicians who do see stroke in hospitalised Covid-19 patients must understand the virus is not the only factor, and it’s necessary to follow through with normal diagnostic testing,” senior author Brett Cucchiara said in a statement.
“However, there are still many unknowns and we need to continue investigating the linkage between stroke and Covid-19, particularly considering the racial disparities surrounding the disease.”
Researchers say the results suggest that these cerebrovascular events in hospitalised Covid-19 patients are likely tied to existing conditions, and not the sole consequence of the virus. However, other factors could be at play and require continued research.
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
