METABOLIC SYNDROME IN ISCHEMIC STROKE AND ITS CORRELATION WITH SERUM URIC ACID LEVELS IN A COSTAL TERITIARY CARE CENTRE OF SOUTH INDIA

H. Poornima* and Vosto Steny

ABSTRACT

Background: Metabolic syndrome is often an underdiagnosed entity in patients with ischemic stroke and elevated serum uric acid level is a common association of metabolic syndrome. This study was designed to identify the frequency of metabolic syndrome in patients with ischemic stroke and to study the correlation between serum uric acid levels in stroke patients with metabolic syndrome. Method: 122 patients in the age group of 35-60 years who attended medicine department of a tertiary care centre in south India with ischemic stroke were included in the study. International Diabetes Federation criteria were used for diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. NIHSS score was used for assessing the severity of ischemic stroke. Results: 41%of study population met the criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. In stroke patients with metabolic syndrome 24% had very high uric acid levels compared to 9.7% in those without metabolic syndrome. Low normal values of uric acid were associated with only 22% of those with metabolic syndrome whereas it was seen in 38.9% of those without metabolic syndrome. Both these values were statistically significant. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in ischemic stroke patients in this study is 41%. Diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypertension were the more prevalent components. Ischemic stroke was found to be more severe in patients with metabolic syndrome as evidenced by the NIHSS scores. High serum uric acid levels were more commonly observed in ischemic stroke patients with metabolic syndrome.

Keywords: Ischemic stroke, Metabolic syndrome, Serum uric acid.