Testing for Thrombophilic Disorders in Young Adults with Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack

Abstract

Young adults aged 50 years and below with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack have significantly different risk factors from older stroke patients. As a result, they are often worked up extensively to evaluate for the underlying cause of the stroke. The aim of this retrospective study at our hospital was to determine how often tests for thrombophilic disorders are ordered for such patients and the yield of such tests. The results of this study showed that thrombophilic tests were frequently ordered by neurologists but the yield from such tests was low.