Neurol Sci. 2025 Mar 6. doi: 10.1007/s10072-025-08074-1. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We investigated the risk of ischemic stroke in ALS and analyzed the effect of ALS-related physical disability using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database.
METHODS: A total of 2,251 ALS patients diagnosed between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2015, and 1:10 age- and sex-matched control populations were included. Cases that participated in the national health check-up programs were selected. A Cox hazard regression model was used to examine the hazard ratios (HRs) for ischemic stroke in ALS after adjusting for potential confounders.
RESULTS: A total of 681 ALS patients and 10,934 non-ALS participants were selected. ALS patients were slightly younger than the control group (60.3 ± 10.1 years vs. 61.0 ± 10.5 years, p = 0.105), and the proportion of male patients was similar between the two groups (61.6% vs. 60.9%, p = 0.722). ALS patients were more likely to have a lower body mass index (23.1 ± 2.92 vs. 24.0 ± 3.1, p < 0.001) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (0.59% vs. 0.06%, p < 0.001) than the controls. In ALS patients, the incidence rate of ischemic stroke was 6.32 per 1,000 person-years, and the adjusted HR of ischemic stroke was 2.58 (95% confidence interval 1.38 – 4.82) compared with the matched group. The risk of ischemic stroke did not differ by the presence of disability in ALS patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ALS patients have an increased risk of ischemic stroke compared with controls, but the risk did not differ by the presence of disability in ALS.
PMID:40048117 | DOI:10.1007/s10072-025-08074-1
