title: Red blood cell distribution width in patients with cryptogenic stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is no information about a possible association of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) with cryptogenic stroke (CS). We aimed to analyze the association of RDW with CS.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty-three patients with CS were included along with 186 healthy controls. Fibrinogen, leukocytes, hemoglobin, and erythrocyte indices were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients showed higher RDW, leukocyte count, and body mass index (BMI) than controls (P < .05). No differences were observed in the erythrocyte indices or in glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides levels (P > .05). When patients with anemia were excluded from the study (6 controls and 5 cases), the differences between cases and controls persisted (P = .005). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that, after adjusting for potential confounders (anemia, age > 40 years, gender, and fibrinogen >382 mg/dL, total cholesterol >240 mg/dL, and BMI > 28.7 kg/m(2)), RDW >14% was the only parameter that independently increased the risk of CS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RDW >14% increased the risk of CS by 2.5-fold, irrespectively of anemia, inflammation, and lipidic profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Hemorheology and Haemostasis Unit, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain vaya_amp@gva.es.
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vayá
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Hemorheology and Haemostasis Unit, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoriano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Hemorheology and Haemostasis Unit, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Leonor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Hemorheology and Haemostasis Unit, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Aída
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lago
authors.affiliation: Research Centre, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: España
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Service, Doctor Peset University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bautista
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: anemia; cryptogenic stroke; hematimetric indices; inflammation; lipids; red blood cell distribution width