Open AccessThe relationship of vitamin D deficiency with severity and outcome of acute stroke
Author(s) -
Reza Ebrahimi Rad,
Mohammadreza Zarbakhsh,
S Sarabi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
romanian journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.223
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 2501-062X
pISSN - 1582-3296
DOI - 10.2478/rjim-2021-0013
Subject(s) - medicine , stroke (engine) , vitamin d and neurology , vitamin d deficiency , modified rankin scale , cross sectional study , gastroenterology , physical therapy , ischemic stroke , pathology , mechanical engineering , ischemia , engineering
Background. There are currently conflicting results regarding the link between vitamin D deficiency and the increased risk for stroke and its poor prognosis. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and prognosis of acute stroke. Methods. This bi-center cross-sectional study was performed on 140 consecutive patients who referred to two general hospitals in Iran with the diagnosis of acute stroke. The levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D were evaluated by Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technique. Clinical severity of stroke on admission as well as on discharge time were evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) or Modified Rankin (mRS) tools. Results. Mean serum level of vitamin D was 25.51 ± 18.87 ng/mL, ranging from 3.0 to 98.6 ng/ml. There was a significant difference between the two groups (with and without vitamin D deficiency) in terms of stroke severity and disability, as reflected by mRS (P=0.003) and NIHSS evaluation (14.24 ± 9.23 versus 9.73 ± 7.36, P=0.003). Also, regarding patients’ clinical condition, the mean NIHSS score in those with deficient and normal levels of vitamin D was 14.24 ± 9.23 and 9.73 ± 7.36, respectively with NIHSS score > 5 in 76.1% and 61.5%, respectively (P = 0.003). Conclusion. According to the results of study, vitamin D status can be related to the severity of stroke. However, considering the cross-sectional design of our study, it could not point out the causality between vitamin D deficiency and acute stroke and further studies are warranted. It is not possible to draw any conclusions in terms of causality. Further studies are required in order to assess the relationship between the serum vitamin D levels and stroke severity.