Association between Serum Triglycerides and Severity of Stroke

Abstract Background: The purpose of the present research was to study the correlation between serum triglyceride (TG) levels and the severity of stroke as limited data are available on the role of TGs. The severity of stroke was determined using the Scandinavian Stroke Scale (SSS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 60 patients with acute ischemic stroke were included, who were diagnosed on clinical examination and 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain. Serum TG levels were categorized according to the National Cholesterol Education Program and the Adult Treatment Panel. Stroke severity was assessed with the help of SSS. Results: The mean serum TG levels in the study were found to be 147.7 mg/dl ± 92 mg/dl. The mean SSS score in the study was 27.93 ± 3.86. There was a statistically significant association between the serum TG levels and SSS ( P = 0.001). The association was suggested by a positive Pearson correlation coefficient ( r = 0.481). Patients with low serum TG levels (≤150 mg/dl) had severe strokes as assessed by the SSS (≤25). Conclusion: This study confirms that low levels of TG are associated with poor outcome of acute ischemic stroke, which can be explained by the fact that low serum TG levels indicate malnutrition, which is a poor prognostic factor.