New Stroke Prevention Guidelines: A Quick and Easy Guide
New Stroke Prevention Guidelines: A Quick and Easy Guide
• Chronic inflammatory conditions: Consider these patients to have increased stroke risk
• Annual flu vaccine
• Inflammatory markers
• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) > 2 mg/dL: Consider a statin
• Antibiotics for chronic infections as means to prevent stroke are not recommended
The Bottom Line: Inflammation plays a major role in stroke risk, affecting the formation, growth, and stability of atherosclerotic plaques. However, the utility of measuring inflammatory markers in assessing stroke risk is still being investigated.
Patients with higher hs-CRP levels have increased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. The JUPITER study randomly assigned people without cardiovascular disease and normal LDL cholesterol levels but hs-CRP levels > 2 mg/dL to receive a statin or placebo, and found a reduction in cardiovascular events and stroke in the statin-treated patients. However, because patients with lower hs-CRP levels were not included, it is unknown whether the CRP played a role, and the usefulness of hs-CRP and other inflammatory markers is not well established.
Patients with chronic inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, should be considered to have an increased stroke risk and are a "subgroup...worthy of enhanced risk factor measurement and control."
Inflammation and Infection
The Basics
• Chronic inflammatory conditions: Consider these patients to have increased stroke risk
• Annual flu vaccine
• Inflammatory markers
• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) > 2 mg/dL: Consider a statin
• Antibiotics for chronic infections as means to prevent stroke are not recommended
The Bottom Line: Inflammation plays a major role in stroke risk, affecting the formation, growth, and stability of atherosclerotic plaques. However, the utility of measuring inflammatory markers in assessing stroke risk is still being investigated.
Patients with higher hs-CRP levels have increased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. The JUPITER study randomly assigned people without cardiovascular disease and normal LDL cholesterol levels but hs-CRP levels > 2 mg/dL to receive a statin or placebo, and found a reduction in cardiovascular events and stroke in the statin-treated patients. However, because patients with lower hs-CRP levels were not included, it is unknown whether the CRP played a role, and the usefulness of hs-CRP and other inflammatory markers is not well established.
Patients with chronic inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, should be considered to have an increased stroke risk and are a "subgroup...worthy of enhanced risk factor measurement and control."
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