Cardiac complications (arrhythmias and heart failure) in patients with ischemic stroke: A meta-analysis

Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Jun 21;103(25):e38619. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038619.

Abstract

Background: In patients with ischemic stroke (pwIS), cardiac complications have been observed in observational studies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the arrhythmias and heart failure in pwIS.

Methods: Up until September 2023, we searched for case-control, cross-sectional, or cohort studies in 4 databases. For case-control/cross-sectional studies, odds ratios (OR) were determined using a random-effects model meta-analysis, while hazard ratios (HR) were calculated for cohort studies, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled in the meta-analysis.

Results: In the meta-analysis, we incorporated 5 studies: 2 cohort studies, 2 case-control studies, and 1 cross-sectional study. In all, 81,181 controls and 25,544 pwIS were included in this investigation. The combined OR for case-control studies of arrhythmias was estimated to be 1.86 (95% CI: 0.70-4.94, P = .21), HR for cohort studies of arrhythmias to be 4.2 (95% CI: 1.49-12.01, P < .05), and for cohort studies of heart failure to be 2.9 (95% CI: 2.65-3.18, P < .05), suggesting that pwIS may be more likely to experience cardiac complications.

Conclusion: Our results revealed that there is a comparatively higher risk of cardiac complications in pwIS; however, more research is needed to evaluate the risk of cardiac complications in pwIS.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac* / epidemiology
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac* / etiology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Heart Failure* / complications
  • Heart Failure* / epidemiology
  • Heart Failure* / etiology
  • Humans
  • Ischemic Stroke* / complications
  • Ischemic Stroke* / epidemiology