High levels of plasma fibrinogen and prothrombin time are related to post-stroke emotional impairment

Abstract

IntroductionStudies have shown that high levels of the fibrinogen (FIB) are related to anxiety and depression. However, the relationship between FIB and post-stroke emotional impairment (PSEI) remains unclear, which includes post-stroke anxiety (PSA) and post-stroke depression (PSD). MethodsA total of 555 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) were enrolled in this study. Ultimately, 443 patients completed 1‐month follow‐up. Blood samples were collected at hospital admission. Clinical depression and anxiety were evaluated 1 month after stroke. ResultsHigh levels of FIB were observed in patients with PSEI compared with the non‐EI group (p = 0.003). Levels of FIB were divided into three tertiles, and the prevalence of PSEI was significantly higher in the third FIB tertile (p = 0.016). After adjusting potential confounders, the third FIB tertile was independently associated with the prevalence of PSEI (OR = 1.785, 95%CI = 1.049–3.039, p = 0.033), taking the first tertile as a reference. In this model, prothrombin time (PT) was also independently associated with the prevalence of PSEI (OR = 1.602, 95%CI = 1.181–2.173, p = 0.002). ConclusionHigh levels of plasma FIB and PT are associated with the prevalence of PSEI.