title: Lower serum triglyceride level is associated with increased stroke severity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A previous study showed that low triglyceride concentration predicts higher mortality after stroke. The aim of our study was to determine whether serum triglyceride level is associated with stroke severity on admission.
  
  
  METHODS
  863 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were included. Serum triglyceride level was measured within 36 hours after stroke onset. Stroke severity on admission was assessed using Scandinavian Stroke Scale (SSS). The patients were divided into 2 groups: those with severe stroke (SSS < or =25) and those with mild/moderate stroke (SSS >25).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with severe stroke had significantly lower serum triglyceride level than patients with mild/moderate stroke (1.4+/-0.6 versus 1.7+/-1.3 mmol/L). After adjusting for age, sex, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and ischemic heart disease, patients with triglyceride >2.3 mmol/L had lower risk of severe stroke than those with triglyceride < or =2.3 mmol/L (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.95).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that lower level of triglyceride is associated with the more severe stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University, Botaniczna 3, 31-503 Krakow, Poland. Dziedzic@neuro.cm-uj.krakow.pl
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dziedzic
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slowik
authors.forename: Elzbieta A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gryz
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szczudlik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014280:Triglycerides