Lipoprotein [a] as an independent risk factor in ischemic[thombotic] strokes

ABSTRACT

The role of lipoprotein [a] [LP[a]] in cerebral infarction is still ill defined. The present study aimed at finding a correlation between LP[a] and severity of cerebral strokes as well as degree of carotid stenosis based on LP[a] level. A hundred and sixty cases were included in this study; 120 patients with cerebral infarction of more than 3 months duration [to exclude effect of acute phase reactant] and 40 cases matched for age, sex and body mass index as control. Patients with cardiac, hepatic, renal, connective tissue diseases or diabetes mellitus were excluded from this study. Complete lipid profile, echocardiography, carotid duplex, C.T. and/or MM [Brain] were done for all cases. Modified Ranking scale for assessment of severity of strokes and step with logistic regression analysis for all lipid parameters were used as predictors of developing stroke. We found that there is a correlation between both degree of carotid stenosis, and severity of cerebral strokes with LP [a] plasma level rather than all other lipid parameters. We can conclude that LP [a] is an independent risk factor for cerebral ischemic strokes, and can be used as a predictor of developing stroke