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OBJECTIVE: With global aging, the occurrence of stroke and associated outcomes like dementia are on the rise. Seizures and epilepsy are common poststroke complications and have a strong connection to subsequent dementia. This study examines the relationship between poststroke seizures (PSS) or poststroke epilepsy (PSE) and dementia using a national health care database. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2009 to 2020. We identified acute stroke patients from 2010 to 2015, excluding those with pre-existing neurological conditions. Based on age, sex, stroke severity level, and the year of index stroke, patients with PSS or PSE were matched to those without. The main outcome was incident dementia. RESULTS: This study included 62 968 patients with an average age of 63 years, with males accounting for 62.9%. Of them, 60.3% had ischemic strokes, and 39.7% had hemorrhagic strokes. After an average follow-up period of 5.2 years, dementia developed in 15.9% of patients who had PSS or PSE, as opposed to 8.4% of those without these conditions. A time-dependent Fine and Gray competing risk analysis showed that PSS and PSE were significantly associated with dementia across all stroke types. Subgroup analyses revealed significantly increased risk of dementia across all age groups (<50, 50-64, and ≥65 years), sexes, and various stroke severity levels. The link between PSS or PSE and dementia was particularly pronounced in men, with a less distinct correlation in women. SIGNIFICANCE: The risk of incident dementia was higher in patients with PSS or PSE. The potential for therapeutic interventions for seizures and epilepsy to reduce poststroke dementia underscores the importance of seizure screening and treatment in stroke survivors.
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INTRODUCTION: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may predict stroke-associated pneumonia, which is generally defined as pneumonia occurring in the first week after stroke. However, little is known whether the initial NLR is associated with pneumonia risk during the long-term follow-up in stroke survivors. We aimed to determine the relationship between admission NLR and the risk of post-stroke pneumonia within 1 year after discharge from acute stroke care. METHODS: Hospital databases were searched to identify adult patients hospitalized for acute stroke. Admission NLR was extracted using differential leukocyte counts. The outcome of interest was hospitalized pneumonia occurring within 1 year after discharge from hospitalization for stroke. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models were used to determine the independent effects of the NLR on the risk of pneumonia. RESULTS: In this study, 5,741 patients with acute stroke (mean age, 68 years; men, 62.1%) were analyzed. The median NLR was 2.72 (interquartile range, 1.78-4.49). Of the patients, 342 (6.0%) developed pneumonia within 1 year after discharge. In the multivariable models, the NLR was a significant predictor of pneumonia after discharge whether it was analyzed as a continuous or dichotomized variable. The corresponding adjusted hazard ratios were 1.037 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.013-1.061) and 1.361 (95% CI, 1.087-1.704), respectively. CONCLUSION: The NLR could predict the risk of post-stroke pneumonia up to 1 year after discharge from acute stroke care. It may help identify high-risk stroke survivors, for whom appropriate interventions can be targeted.