Relationship between admission serum uric acid to lymphocyte ratio and the risk of ischemic stroke recurrence and death: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND

This study aims to explore the relationship between the Serum uric acid to lymphocyte ratio (ULR) level at admission and the long-term risk of recurrence and death in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in Liaoning Province.

METHODS

This multicentre prospective study enrolled 7966 subjects who experienced ischemic stroke (IS) across Liaoning Province, China. The Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to explore the association of ULR with the risk of recurrence and death in IS.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up period of 4.08 (3.35, 4.43) years, there were 1311 cases of stroke recurrence or death, 1429 cases of cardiovascular (CVD) death, and 910 cases of stroke-cause death. In analysis comparing the Q4 and Q1group, after multivariate adjustment, ULR was significantly positively associated with the incidence of stroke recurrence or death (Q4 vs. Q1: HR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.42), CVD death (Q4 vs. Q1: HR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.00, 1.34), and stroke-cause death (Q4 vs. Q1: HR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.05, 1.52). Additionally, the significant correlation between ULR and the risk of IS recurrence or death was partially mediated by diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (8.53%) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (3.59%) in a positive manner.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that higher ULR is significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrence and death following IS. The findings suggest that ULR could serve as a valuable prognostic marker in clinical practice, particularly in managing patients with IS.