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21/05/2024 - Press release

Almost 9% of people who suffer a mild stroke will experience a second one within three months

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of the scientific evidence published between 2000 and 2021 estimates the recurrence risk in people who have suffered a minor stroke, a stroke that does not cause sequelae. The study is published by the Journal of the American Heart Association and includes participation from the Neurology Service of Hospital del Mar.

Almost one in ten people who suffer a stroke without sequelae, known as a minor stroke, will experience a second stroke within three months of the first episode. This is established by a recent study led by researchers from the University of Melbourne in Australia, with participation from the Neurology Service of Hospital del Mar. The work, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 publications on the subject, is published by the Journal of the American Heart Association. It is the largest study on this type of pathology conducted to date.

The researchers analyzed data from the selected studies, all published between 2000 and 2021. In total, 45,462 patients were included, among which were patients from a Hospital del Mar study published in 2008. The results indicate that the risk of stroke recurrence three months after suffering a minor stroke has decreased by an average of 0.6% over the analyzed period but can still affect 8.6% of patients.

Dr. Ángel Ois, a co-author of the study and a neurologist at Hospital del Mar and researcher at its Research Institute, points out that these results "confirm the strategy used at Hospital del Mar for patients who suffer a minor stroke, which involves thorough monitoring with hospital admission, even if the symptoms are mild." "Given the risk of stroke recurrence, it is advisable to follow this strategy to benefit people who, according to the study, may suffer a second episode, this time with sequelae", he adds.

None of the analyzed variables, such as age, hypertension, diabetes, or heart conditions, are related to the risk of recurrence, according to the study authors, who assert that their conclusions should help healthcare professionals understand that, although the risk of a second stroke has decreased over the years, it is still significant.

Reference Article

Lim A, Ma H, Johnston SC, Singhal S, Muthusamy S, Wang Y, Pan Y, Coutts SB, Hill MD, Ois A, Kapral MK, Knoflach M, Woodhouse LJ, Bath PM, Phan TG. Ninety-Day Stroke Recurrence in Minor Stroke: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Trials and Observational Studies. J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 Apr 19:e032471. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.123.032471. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38641856.

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