ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the risk factors for recurrence of large atherosclerotic cerebral infarction in first?episode patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The consecutive patients with acute cerebral infarction diagnosed in the Department of Neurology were screened for large atherosclerotic cerebral infarction by CTA/MRA examination, and all the confirmed patients were followed up for 1 year. The patients were divided into recurrent ischemic stroke group and non?recurrent group according to occurrence of cerebrovascular events during the follow?up.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 256 eligible patients were included in this study, and all of them completed the follow?up. During the 1?year follow?up, 30 (11.7%) patients had ischemic cerebrovascular stroke events. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in alcohol drinking (P=0.028), smoking (P=0.007), high?density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL; P=0.045), ischemic heart disease (P=0.002), antihypertensive agents (P=0.036) and statin use (P=0.016) between the recurrent group and non?recurrent group. Cox regression analysis showed that irregular use of statins (RR=0.410, P=0.043), smoking (RR=2.253, P=0.043), HDL (RR=0.327, P=0.029), and ischemic heart disease (RR=8.566, P<0.001) were correlated with recurrent ischemic stroke.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The first?episode patients with irregular use of statins, low HDL levels, smoking and ischemic heart disease are at higher risks for having ischemic stroke recurrence.</p>