title: Low T3 syndrome predicts severe neurological deficits of cerebral infarction inpatients with large artery artherosclerosis in internal carotid artery system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The low triiodothyronine (T3) syndrome indicates poor prognosis for patients with cerebral infarction. It is unknown, however, whether basic conditions or severities in the patients with the low T3 syndrome are different compared to those without the low T3 syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the risk factors and the severity of the disease using the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score at the worst condition for cerebral infarction in patients with or without the low T3 syndrome in order to better understand the characteristics underlying the worse prognosis in patients with the low T3 syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that cerebral infarction patients with the low T3 syndrome were significantly older (p<0.001) and significantly more likely to be female (p=0.002) and had hypertension (p=0.04) or homocystinemia (p=0.001), but less likely to smoke (p=0.008), compared to patients without the low T3 syndrome. The proportion of NIHSS score ≥8 in the patients with LAA-ICA-associated cerebral infarction accompanied by the low T3 syndrome was significantly higher than in those without the low T3 syndrome (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that increased numbers of risk factors for cerebral infarction and more severe neurological deficits may be important causes for worse prognosis in the patients with the low T3 syndrome which may more likely occur in patients with LAA-ICA cerebral infarction. Intense secondary prevention in cerebral infarction especially in older women are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital), Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Guan-Hui
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychological Department, Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fan-Zhen
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital), Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Zhang
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychological Department, Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005067:Euthyroid Sick Syndromes / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index