Prothrombotic gene variation and new vascular events after cerebral ischemia of arterial origin

Summary.  Background:  Several genetic variants involved in hemostasis have been associated with ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction (MI). Stroke patients who carry a prothrombotic genotype may also be at increased risk for subsequent vascular events. Patients and methods:  We included 887 patients with non‐disabling cerebral ischemia of arterial origin, who were referred to the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands between 1995 and 2005 and followed them for the occurrence of ischemic stroke, MI or death. The primary outcome was a composite of death from all vascular causes, non‐fatal ischemic stroke, non‐fatal MI, whichever happened first. We selected 22 prothrombotic variants in 14 genes that were previously associated with ischemic stroke or MI or had evidence of functionality. Results:  During a 4.6‐year mean follow‐up period new vascular events occurred in 135 patients (annual event rate 3.3%). None of the 22 variants was associated with the occurrence of new vascular events. Eight additional analyses with secondary outcomes or among subgroups revealed four associations that were likely to be false positive after accounting for multiple testing. Conclusions:  In this cohort, prothrombotic genetic variants do not affect the risk of new vascular events after cerebral ischemia of arterial origin. This study does not support the use of prothrombotic genetic variants to identify stroke patients at increased risk for new vascular events or to guide antithrombotic treatment.