Contribution of hematocrit to early mortality after ischemic stroke.
BACKGROUND
Only a few non-recent studies assessed the importance of hematocrit (HCT) in patients with ischemic stroke. We evaluated how HCT might affect early mortality after stroke.


METHODS
We investigated all first-ever ischemic strokes included in the population-based L'Aquila registry. 3,481 patients according to HCT (%) values were included into four categories (<or=40, 41-45, 46-50, and >50).


RESULTS
There were more men than women with HCT >50 (6.6 vs. 2.8%; p < 0.0001) and more women than men with HCT <or=40 (48.5 vs. 37.9%; p < 0.0001). Proportions of chronic atrial fibrillation (p = 0.0053) increased in women from the lower to the higher HCT categories. 7- and 28-day case-fatality rates were similar in men and women in the lower HCT categories but higher in women than in men in the higher categories. At the 28-day Kaplan-Meier analysis, men had similar survivals in the different categories while women with HCT >50 showed the worst survival (p < 0.0001). At the multivariate Cox regression analysis HCT 46-50 and >50 was an independent predictor of mortality in women within 28 days.


CONCLUSIONS
High HCT might represent in women a previously underestimated independent predictor of mortality after ischemic stroke. Consideration of HCT in future stroke trials would be useful for ameliorating stroke care, especially in women.
Sacco
Simona
S
Department of Neurology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Marini
Carmine
C
Olivieri
Luigi
L
Pistoia
Francesca
F
Carolei
Antonio
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018672:Community Health Planning; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors