Relationship between ankle brachial index (ABI), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and initial disability level in acute ischemic stroke.

Relationship between high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Ankle Brachial index (ABI), severity of atherosclerosis and risk of ischemic stroke has been well documented. Studies concerning the association of ABI, hs-CRP and initial disability level in acute ischemic stroke are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hs-CRP, ABI and level of initial disability in acute stroke setting. We conducted a prospective observational study in patients with acute ischemic stroke within 48 hours of onset. Initial ABI, hs-CRP were measured. Disability level was assessed at admission and 3 months using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and the National Institue of Health Stroke scale (NIHSS). Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. This study included 36 patients with a mean +/-SD age of 67.8 +/- 9.3 years. Sixteen (44.4%) were male. Median NIHSS and mRS were 10 and 4 respectively. Correlation between initial ABI and hs-CRP was poor (r(s) = -0.11, p = 0.57). There was a significant negative relationship between ABI and mRS at 0 and 3 months with a correlation coefficient of -0.45 (p = 0.006) and -0.41 (p = 0.02), respectively. There was a significant inverse relationship between ABI and initial stroke disability. However, correlation coefficient indicated only fair agreement beyond chance. This findings suggest that ABI may be used as a clinical predictor of initial disability level in acute stroke.