title: The therapeutic value of laboratory testing for hypercoagulable states in secondary stroke prevention.
abstract: Although screening for hypercoagulable states is commonly performed as part of the evaluation of first arterial ischemic stroke in young adults, available evidence does not support this as a routine practice, even in patients with cryptogenic stroke and a positive family history of early thrombotic events or in patients with a patent foramen ovale. Testing for antiphospholipid antibodies is a possible exception because persistent antibodies are associated with an increased risk of recurrent stroke. Despite the lack of supporting data, screening for hypercoagulable states in recurrent early-onset cryptogenic cerebral ischemia could be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 110 South Paca Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Chandni
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalaria
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 110 South Paca Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Neurology, Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center, 100 North Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Electronic address: skittner@umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kittner
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D020521:Stroke / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Antiphospholipid antibodies; Antithrombin III; Factor V Leiden; Homocysteine; Hypercoagulable; Prothrombin mutation; Prothrombotic; Stroke