Study Identifies Risk Factors Associated With Severe Stroke
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 13, 2024 -- Hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and smoking are more strongly associated with severe stroke than nonsevere stroke, according to a study published online Nov. 13 in Neurology.
Catriona Reddin, M.B., B.Ch., from the University of Galway in Ireland, and colleagues examined whether the importance of individual risk factors for stroke differ by stroke severity. Stroke severity was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score within 72 hours of hospital admission.
Of the 13,460 patients with acute stroke, 64.0 and 36.0 percent were reported to have mRS scores of 0 to 3 (nonsevere stroke) and 4 to 6 (severe stroke), respectively. The researchers found stronger associations with severe stroke versus nonsevere stroke for hypertension (odds ratios, 3.21 and 2.87, respectively), atrial fibrillation (odds ratios, 4.70 and 3.61, respectively), and smoking (odds ratios, 1.87 and 1.65, respectively). A stronger association with nonsevere versus severe stroke was seen for waist-to-hip ratio.
"Our results support efforts to control hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and smoking to prevent severe, disabling stroke," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2024
Read this next
Increasing Proportion of U.S. Adults Unaware They Have Hypertension
MONDAY, June 9, 2025 -- From 2013 to 2023, there was an increase in the proportion of U.S. adults who were unaware of having hypertension, according to a research letter published...
Artificial Sweetener Neotame Found in Most E-Cigarettes
MONDAY, June 9, 2025 -- The artificial sweetener neotame is ubiquitous in popular disposable e-cigarettes, according to a research letter published online June 2 in...
Preoperative Blood Pressure Strategies Yield Similar Postoperative Cognitive Results
FRIDAY, June 6, 2025 -- For patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, neurocognitive outcomes do not differ with hypotension-avoidance and hypertension-avoidance strategies...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.