The use of repeated measures analysis of variance to study the effect of phlegm-heat syndrome on neurological deficits in patients with stroke

Abstract

To explore the effect of phlegm-heat syndrome on the degree of neurological deficit and provide some data support for the correct recognition of the relationship between phlegm-heat syndrome and neurological deficits in stroke patients. Clinical information were collected on 294 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) whose syndrome and National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score were checked at baseline (within the first 3-day admission) and at 7, 14, 28, and 90 days after admission to our clinical research centre. We explored the effect of phlegm-heat syndrome on the degree of neurological deficit following stroke by applying a repeated measures analysis of variance. Stroke patients with phlegm-heat syndrome had higher NIHSS score than patients without the syndrome (P <0.01), and there appeared to be a decrease in NIHSS score over time in all patients (P <0.01). Phlegm-heat syndrome in patients who have suffered stroke has an effect on the degree of neurological deficiency. Disappearance of phlegm-heat syndrome may improve the degree of neurological deficit observed in stroke patients.