Study of red blood cell distribution width and carotid intima-media thickness in acute ischemic stroke patients and its correlation with neurological scoring systems

Background: There is no widely used, rapidly determined and sensitive biomarker of acute ischemic stroke. There are limited studies done to evaluate the association between Red Blood Cell Distribution (RDW), Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) and severity of acute ischemic stroke.Aim and Objectives: To identify the correlation of RDW and CIMT with neurological scoring system in acute ischemic stroke patients. Material and Methods: This was hospital based observational, case control study. Sixty-eight patients and 68 age and sex matched controls were included in study after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. RDW and CIMT in all subjects were compared regarding various clinical and biochemical parameters along with severity of stroke on neurological scales.Results: Mean RDW in case group was 15.23 +/- 1.70 while in control group was 13.51 +/- 1.31 and this was statistically highly significant. Higher RDW was associated with raised CIMT (p = 0.0364, correlation coefficient (r) = 0.081). The relationship of severity of stroke on neurological scales with RDW and CIMT was statistically significant. Conclusion: RDW and CIMT are strongly associated with increased risk of occurrence as well as with severity of acute ischemic stroke. As they are inexpensive investigations, they can be used as screening tools to assess early atherosclerotic changes in people with risk factors for stroke.