Family history of stroke and severity of neurologic deficit after stroke.
BACKGROUND
A family history of stroke is an independent risk factor for stroke.


OBJECTIVE
To assess whether severity of neurologic deficit after stroke is associated with a family history of stroke.


METHODS
The Ischemic Stroke Genetics Study, a five-center study of first-ever symptomatic ischemic stroke, assessed case subjects prospectively for a family history of stroke-affected first-degree relatives. Certified adjudicators used the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) to determine the severity of neurologic deficit.


RESULTS
A total of 505 case subjects were enrolled (median age, 65 years; 55% male), with 81% enrolled within 1 week of onset of symptoms. A sibling history of stroke was associated with more severe stroke. The odds of an NIHSS score of 5 or higher were 2.0 times greater for cases with a sibling history of stroke compared with cases with no sibling history (95% CI, 1.0 to 3.9). An association of family history of stroke in parents or children with stroke severity was not detected.


CONCLUSIONS
A sibling history of stroke increased the likelihood of a more severe stroke in the case subjects, independent of age, sex, and other potential confounding factors. Other family history characteristics were not associated with stroke severity.
Meschia
J F
JF
Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA. meschia.james@mayo.edu
Case
L D
LD
Worrall
B B
BB
Brown
R D
RD
Brott
T G
TG
Frankel
M
M
Silliman
S
S
Rich
S S
SS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D035781:Siblings; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*